Thursday, July 17, 2008

And is this an orchid?



Looks like an orchid to me, but I couldn't find it in my wildflower book. I've never seen another one, and it was all by itself on today's hike. The bottom part was quite bulbous.

Identifying plants and animals can be tricky. Like this hawk, right by the side of the road, but by the time I got the camera out of the backpack, lens cover off, passed it to Jon who complained it was on the wrong setting-- well the bird wouldn't show its face.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know somebody who knows somebody who raises orchids and will try to find out next week when I'm not just on my phone.

Linda Davick said...

Well you definitely got the camera on the RIGHT setting. Incredible hawk photo even though he refused to say cheese.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

I think it's an orchid, but I don't know what kind.
Nice hawk photo, even though he's being a snub. Cold Shouldered Hawk.

Sally said...

I found out the name of it late last night, it's Calypso, also known as Fairy Slipper. There was a drawing that made it clearer. It's possible that the hawk may have been an immature bald eagle. The road we drive down has a big cliff off the side of it, and this eagle was in a dead tree perched on cliff. Cold Shouldered Hawk-- that's funny!

Anonymous said...

Ah, you beat me. I was going to say it looked akin to a Lady Slipper, which is indeed an orchid.

Anonymous said...

With the gold colors on the bird It could be a Golden Eagle

Sally said...

Isn't it amazing that an orchid would grow wild at 9000 feet?

Fearless, I think a Golden Eagle is more likely, but my photo book had a pretty good match on the imm. Bald Eagle. Goldens are more common here.