Leighton Photography & Imaging

  • Home
  • Website
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • How to Download
  • Galleries
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
Next
600 images found
twitterlinkedinfacebook

Loading ()...

  • A Northwestern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) in strike pose after being caught then released among the ponderosa pines in the Eastern Cascade Mountains in Central Washington. Had I known at the time how highly venomous these particular rattlers were compared to other North American rattlesnakes I might have thought twice. Interestingly, the rattle sounded more like a cicada than your typical warning.
    Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Bark
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Flowers
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Flowers
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Flowers
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone in Flower
  • The Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus) is the world's second-largest terrestrial slug in the world and can grow up to 9.8 inches (25 cm) long. They live on the forest floors in the Pacific Northwest, and are most often seen cruising along the leaf litter or on decaying wood at a maximum speed of  6 1⁄2 inches (17 cm) per minute. Because they get moisture through their skin, banana slugs need a moist environment in order to survive, and the wet, mild climate of western Washington, Oregon and British Columbia meets that need perfectly. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • This highly attractive terrestrial snail can be found near streams in the rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest from California to Alaska, and is mainly crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) during the wet spring and fall. This particularly colorful individual was found by lucky accident in Oregon's Cascade Mountains just east of Eugene.
    Pacific Sideband Snail
  • A solidly yellow Pacific banana slug slowly makes its way through the Hoh Rainforest on the western side of the Olympic Mountains.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • Banana slugs are very common in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed climbing over a 100+ foot tree that had recently fallen over in the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • A close-up of a Pacific banana slug in the Hoh Rain Forest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula on a chilly, yet rare sunny day.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • Working alongside mushrooms and other fungi, banana slugs are detritivores that help turn decaying matter into soil humus. They eat leaves, dead plant materials, moss, fungi, and animal droppings and help in the movement of nutrients throughout the forest and prefer mushrooms over other foods, much to the detriment of human mushroom foragers. Because slugs do not have teeth, food is broken down using its ribbon-like radula, which works like a millstone to grind food into smaller and smaller particles that are then ingested. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • All banana slugs have two pairs of tentacles. The upper pair is the largest, and they are used to detect light intensity or lack of light, much in the way our eyes do. The smaller pair is used to detect and differentiate smells., much in the way our noses do. For protection, both pairs of tentacles can be retracted inside the slug's body in case of danger. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • A vividly memorable and bitterly cold sunset on Oregon's Cannon Beach.
    Pacific Sunset
  • Found throughout most of Canada and the Northern United States, the red elderberry is a very attractive small tree that is important historically for some native American peoples. The small, seedy ripe berries are known to cause nausea and are mildly toxic unless cooked. They are most often used to make jellies or wine. These were found at about 4000 feet in elevation in the North Cascades of Northern Washington.
    Pacific Red Elderberry
  • Banana slugs are highly variable in appearance, but most tend to be either a solid light to bright yellow (hence the name banana slug) or yellow with brown spots. Sometimes brown, green or even white ones are seen, and color can often an indicator of the slug's age, health, how moist or dry it is, or even can be a clue as to what it's been eating. The body structure of the banana slug is very simple. It has a "foot" that is used for locomotion in the same way terrestrial or aquatic snails move about. The "hump" part of the back is called the mantle, and has an opening on its right called a pneumostome that is a simple airway for the single lung that it uses for respiration. Their entire body is covered in a thick slime helps it retain moisture and aids in "sliding" through the forest. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug-9.jpg
  • Recently, the western scrub jay was split into two distinct species: the California scrub jay (which is a brighter blue and is found in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest) and the Woodhouse's scrub jay (which is a duller blue and found in more interior regions away from the coast.) Much like any jay or other corvid, these often loud and very inquisitive birds will eat just about anything they can overpower or steal. These California scrub jays are easy to recognize from their neighboring cousins by the distinct blue "collar" around the neck. This one was found screeching in a maple tree in Southern King County, Washington on a chilly afternoon.
    California Scrub Jay
  • Recently, the western scrub jay was split into two distinct species: the California scrub jay (which is a brighter blue and is found in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest) and the Woodhouse's scrub jay (which is a duller blue and found in more interior regions away from the coast.) Much like any jay or other corvid, these often loud and very inquisitive birds will eat just about anything they can overpower or steal. These California scrub jays are easy to recognize from their neighboring cousins by the distinct blue "collar" around the neck. This one was found screeching in a maple tree in Southern King County, Washington on a chilly afternoon.
    California Scrub Jay
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast and support a rich variety of wildlife.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • A perfect combination of low tide, the last rays of sunlight, and a spectacular  location made for a very satisfying photograph with rippled sand and ultra-vivid colors as I waited out the sunset on Washington's Ruby Beach in the Olympic National Park on the Pacific Ocean.
    Ruby Beach at Last Light
  • Very early on a chilly fall morning, just before sunrise on the Olympic Peninsula's Rialto Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast. Stands of dead sitka spruce trees line the shore (standing and fallen or washed ashore) on one of North America's most spectacular remote beaches.
    Rialto Beach at Dawn
  • The Devil's Backbone juts out into the Pacific Ocean on the Southern Oregon Coast making a shallow protected cove and sandy beach. It seems that just about every mile along this coastline has jaw-dropping views and  rock formations (called sea stacks), even if the weather is just a little bit hazy, like this day was.
    Devil's Backbone, Oregon Coast
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-3.jpg
  • Close-up view of the slender white piperia orchids, easily distinguished from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-2.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-1.jpg
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The red huckleberry is one of the best-tasting wild berries that can be found in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, and can be found in shaded forests along the Pacific coasts from Central California to Southeastern Alaska west of the Cascades, and can reach a height of 3 to 12 feet - often in association with rotting wood. Tasting a little more like a cranberry than some of the other darker huckleberry varieties, the red huckleberry is sweet with a very pleasing tartness, and is a valuable food source for deer, mountain beavers, mountain goats, and elk - especially in wintertime where many of the late berries persist after the first snow. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington's Western Olympic Mountains.
    Red Huckleberry
  • The so-called wolf lichen is a native fruticose lichenized fungus found in the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest and western Europe that gets its name from its historical use as wolf and fox poison in European cultures centuries ago. When mixed with meat and ground glass, it is reported to be deadly to all canines. Native tribes in the Pacific Northwest are said to have used it to make a yellow dye for furs, animal skins, feathers, etc. It was also used by some tribes to make poison arrowheads, while others it was used as a weak tea to treat stomach and other internal disorders. This one was photographed in the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Cheney, Washington.
    Wolf Lichen (Letharia vulpina)
  • Sometimes also called icicle moss, cat-tail moss is a very common tree moss found all over the Pacific Northwest on the western side of the Cascade Mountains. In fact, the Pacific Northwest's rainy, wet forests would look very different without it!
    Cat-tail Moss
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found along a coastal trail in Oregon's Tillamook County on a winter hike are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually a mushrooms rather than lichens. These have already fruited and cast off their spores during a rainstorm, dropping their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • This wild seascape was shot as a storm was coming in from the Pacific Ocean at the Washington-Oregon border at the mouth of the Columbia River, photographed from the Oregon side.
    Storm Coming In!
  • Also sometimes called the purple sea star, this very common sea star and tidepool favorite is found all along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline. Ranging from bright orange to deep purple, they can reach a size of 16 inches, and live 20 years or more! These were spotted in a tidepool on Cannon Beach, Oregon.
    Ochre Sea Stars
  • Also sometimes called the purple sea star, this very common sea star and tide pool favorite is found all along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline. Ranging from bright orange to deep purple, they can reach a size of 16 inches, and live 20 years or more! This one was seen under a few inches of water in a tide pool on Cannon Beach, Oregon.
    Ochre Sea Star
  • Close-up detail of the western fairy slipper orchid. Like its counterpart - the eastern fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. americana), the western fairly slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis) is an incredibly unusual and beautiful native orchid is one of the first to bloom in the mountainous areas with rich soils and undisturbed evergreen forests. Historically, the corms (similar to a bulb) were eaten as an occasional food source for Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed along the shore of Lake Wenatchee in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • Close-up of a very curious glaucous-winged gull photographed above Ruby Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast, just south from Forks.
    Glaucous-winged Gull
  • The California ground squirrel is a very common western species that has recently expanded north into Washington, as this one was found at the northwestern point of Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in the town of Hammond on the edge of a salt marsh. Highly intelligent, this common prey of rattlesnakes has been known to outsmart attacks using many ingenious methods and is even thought to be somewhat immune to rattlesnake venom.
    California Ground Squirrel
  • The California ground squirrel is a very common western species that has recently expanded north into Washington, as this one was found at the northwestern point of Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in the town of Hammond on the edge of a salt marsh. Highly intelligent, this common prey of rattlesnakes has been known to outsmart attacks using many ingenious methods and is even thought to be somewhat immune to rattlesnake venom.
    California Ground Squirrel
  • Another photo of my newfound buddy while shooting landscapes just before sunset on Washington's Pacific coastline. Townsend's chipmunks are unlike any other species of chipmunk I've seen all over North America. I don't like to personify wildlife, but these little critters are FULL of personality!
    Townsend's Chipmunk
  • One of the largest species of chipmunk in North America, the Townsend's chipmunk  is found only in the Pacific Northwest, from most of the Oregon coast area, all of Washington west of the Cascade Mountains, and just the southern tip of British Columbia in Canada. This curious individual posed for me for about ten minutes at Ruby Beach, Washington.
    Townsend's Chipmunk
  • A cautious Townsend's chipmunk peers out of a pile of driftwood on Ruby Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast. Unlike many forest-dwelling species, Townsend's chipmunks tend to thrive in disturbed locations, and can adapt quickly to major changes in their environment.
    Townsend's Chipmunk
  • Sea stacks tower above the sitka spruce that line the Pacific coastline of Washington's Rialto Beach and Olympic National Park.
    Sea Stacks and Coastline at Rialto B..gton
  • A very lucky find in Washington's Olympic Mountains! This tiny orchid was in full bloom up a narrow mountain goat trail overlooking the majestic glaciers and peaks found in Olympic National Park. Found only in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, this easily overlooked beauty is only one of two green-flowered Piperia species growing in the Pacific Northwest. How you tell this one apart from the somewhat similar Alaskan piperia is the length of the spur. This one (Piperia elongata) has a spur on the flower that greatly exceeds the length of the lip, while the closely related Alaskan piperia (Piperia unalascensis) has a spur that is equal to or slightly less than the length of the lip. The spur in this photo looks a bit like a horn growing underneath each flower, and the lip is the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower.
    Piperia elongata-3.jpg
  • Found primarily around the western half of North America, and more concentrated toward the Pacific Coast, this attractive little looper moth (Protitame subalbaria) with no common name was found next to a creek in a small aspen-filled canyon in the middle of the sagebrush desert near Ellensburg, Washington.
    Protitame subalbaria-1.jpg
  • Primarily a western spring bloomer, the seep-spring monkeyflower, like other monkeyflowers, is often found very close to water or actually growing in standing water. It can be found in most western states and provinces and can be found sporadically in such eastern states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and even Maine! These were found growing on the damp Pacific Northwest cliffs on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Seep-spring Monkeyflower
  • Primarily a western spring bloomer, the seep-spring monkeyflower, like other monkeyflowers, is often found very close to water or actually growing in standing water. It can be found in most western states and provinces and can be found sporadically in such eastern states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and even Maine! These were found growing on the damp Pacific Northwest cliffs on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Seep-spring Monkeyflower
  • An unusually short yet still flowering spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the many intensely beautiful coastal locations of the Pacific Northwest, the waters around the San Juan and Orcas Islands look like nowhere else in North America.  This view overlooks Rosario Strait from Washington's Fidalgo Island.
    Anacortes Landscape-14.jpg
  • One of the many intensely beautiful coastal locations of the Pacific Northwest, the waters around the San Juan and Orcas Islands look like nowhere else in North America.  This view overlooks Rosario Strait from Washington's Fidalgo Island.
    Anacortes Landscape-13.jpg
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found high and dry at low tide near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found just under the water's surface in a tide pool near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found just under the water's surface in a tide pool near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • I found these cool little jelly mushrooms yesterday while looking for bigger Pacific Northwest fungus species to photograph. This unique and very interesting toothed jelly mushroom is found throughout the world and grows mostly on decaying coniferous wood. Although it is considered edible, it is reported to have almost no taste, and is often "candied" with sugar and sometimes other ingredients. This one was found in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near the Greenwater River, in the Cascade Mountains in Pierce County, Washington.
    Cat's Tongue
  • This truly wild and odd looking lichen is also known in some parts of the world as the nail lichen and is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America and in parts of Eastern Eurasia. The apothecia (round black heads) are the reproductive part of the lichen that will release millions of wind-blown spores (similar to a mushroom) that will start a new lichens if they land on a suitable rock. These were found next to the Greenwater River in Pierce County, Washington at mid-elevation in the Cascade Mountains.
    Devil's Matchstick
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • The yellow-spotted millipede also known as the almond-scented or cyanide millipede, is a fairly common millipede found in coastal Pacific forests from Central California to Alaska. Although it has few natural predators, this millipede is a perfect example of aposematism (warning coloration) and when threatened it has the ability to exude a toxic hydrogen cyanide as a defense. This one was found in the forest just off the side of the Sol Duc Trail in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State.
    Yellow-Spotted Millipede
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Northern Olympic Mountains of Washington along the Sol Duc River.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Northern Olympic Mountains of Washington along the Sol Duc River.
    Black Huckleberry
  • Close-up of the western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • The western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • The western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot
  • Not really a park, Spray Park is a mountainous region above Mount Rainier's Mowich Lake that comprises some of the most beautiful and spectacular subalpine meadows and beauty the Pacific Northwest has to offer. In midsummer, the sheer numbers of wildly colorful wildflowers, glacier views, and abundant wildlife make the long steep climb completely worth the effort. It's a purely magical place!
    On the Spray Park Trail
  • The black huckleberry is considered by many to be the prize of the mountain berries. These juicy, sweet member of the blueberry family are found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (with a few isolated locations eastward) and have been enjoyed by wildlife and humans for millennia. This official state fruit of Idaho is a particularly important food source for grizzly and black bears, and traditionally the Native Americans have been eating them in dozens of different ways: fresh, dried, smoked, crushed up in soups or mixed with salmon roe - to name a few. These huckleberries were photographed (then eaten) just below the tree line at the edge of a subalpine meadow in the North Cascades National Park, near the Canadian border in Washington State.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A young male Columbian black-tailed deer feeds on the foliage below Hurricane Ridge in Washington's Olympic Mountains. This subspecies of the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) is found only in the coastal temperate rainforests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest from Northern California to Washington.
    Columbian Black-tailed deer Young Buck
  • A bold female Columbian black-tailed deer feeds on the wild grasses growing along Hurricane Ridge in Washington's Olympic Mountains. This subspecies of the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) is found only in the coastal temperate rainforests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest from Northern California to Washington.
    Columbian Black-tailed Doe
  • This beautiful teal-green bullseye lichen was found growing in the Oak Creek Wildlife Recreation Area just west of Yakima, Washington. If you look closely, you can see the small fleshy fruiting bodies in the center of each lichen that will eventually release its spores to propagate the next generation. This region of the Pacific Northwest is very dry and rocky, and most of the basalt surfaces are covered in multiple types of lichen.
    Bullseye Lichen
  • Given its somewhat similar appearance and fragrance to an orange blossom (besides the four petals vs. the orange's five) the mock-orange is the State Flower of Idaho and is native to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia and Alberta. First collected by Meriwether Lewis himself on the famous Lewis and CLark expedition to find an overland route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, it was later named after him in his honor. This one was found growing halfway up a steep arroyo above the Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Mock-Orange
  • Smooth sumac spreads rapidly once the first plant becomes established in an area. This native member of the cashew family produces very beautiful bright green leaves in the spring that turn to bright scarlet in the winter. Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest traditionally smoked these dried leaves for medicinal uses, such as treating ulcers.
    Smooth Sumac
  • A common fern found growing on trees and mossy rocks in the Pacific Northwest, the licorice fern is also one of the many unrelated plants around the world that contain the chemical glycyrrhizin, which gives it the taste of licorice. Historically the roots were chewed on by Native American tribe members as a hunger suppressant, particularly by hunters or those travelling across the land.
    Licorice Ferns
  • In all of the Pacific Northwest, there is perhaps no better place for finding wild mushrooms than in the Hoh Rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula. This olive wax cap was growing near the Hoh River at the edge of the forest.
    Olive Wax Cap
  • One of the more interesting and unique lichens found in the forests of the Pacific Northwest is the frog pelt lichen. It is rather common here, and can range in color from bluish green to olive brown, and is found growing on both rocks and dead wood, in shady, open forests at varying altitudes.
    Frog Pelt Lichen
  • This strange and seaweed-looking lichen is very common in the dark wet forests on the Pacific Northwest. It grows in old-growth conifers, then eventually falls to the forest floor where it is often eaten by elk and deer.
    Lettuce Lichen
  • Step moss is a very distinctive and attractive moss found throughout most of the Pacific Northwest. This lush soft moss grows in carpets on rocks, logs, and trees, such as this growth on the side of a bigleaf maple in the Hoh Rain Forest.
    Step Moss
  • The Hoh Rain Forest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula is one of the most amazing places in North America to see enormous masses of ferns and mosses. Deer ferns are common throughout the Pacific Northwest and these were found growing in an old-growth part of the forest that is untouched by the logging industry. Native American hunters traditionally used these as a hunger suppressant, and are an important food source for elk in winter.
    Deer Fern
  • A female mountain goat sits in an alpine meadow near the top of Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
    Mountain Goat
  • The Cascades frog is a high altitude-loving frog found in both theCascade and Olympic mountains of the Pacific Northwest. This one was seen in August in Washington's Stevens Pass near the edge of a beautiful and remote subalpine mountain lake.
    Cascades Frog
  • One of many of the wondrous sub-alpine wildflowers found in the Pacific Northwest, this Colombian lily (also known as the small-flowered tiger lily) was found growing high up in the Cascade Mountains in Steven's Pass near the tree line on a cool August day.
    Columbia Lily
  • A trio of green-winged teals (two males and a female) seen swimming at the base of the Nisqually River. These smallest of the Pacific Northwest's ducks were photographed in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge at the southern tip of the Puget Sound.
    Green-winged Teals
Next