Purple fringed orchids, RCIP, Campobello July 24.2011

The purple fringed orchids are on Friar's head on Campobello, in the park. It is important to leave orchids alone. If picked, or broken, they will not return to that spot. But they are lovely to admire from a slight distance.




Joyce

More bog plants

I tried out my new camera on the bog plants today. I especially liked the orchid. Enjoy! Joyce

a bog walk on July 22, Campobello

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http://casa-del-campo.smugmug.com/Campobello-Island-NB-Canada/The-bog-summer/18175885_2MXHV2#P-1-10


Yellowthroats. rose pogonias and pitcher plants photographed on a 20 minute bog walk this afternoon, July 22,2011. Hermit thrushes, veerys and white throated sparrows were all singing. It was a chorus with all the best musicians. The yellowthroat male hid his face behind a branch with one eye looking out at me. He figured he was hidden

FLOWERS: Beauty at Roosevelt Campobello International Park

As you can see from the attached images of bog laurel, Rhodora, Labrador tea, and beach head iris, it’s a great time to enjoy wildflowers at Roosevelt Campobello International Park.

HLB at RCIP

Bunchberries in bloom, Campobello

At the end of our point we have always had bunchberries. When they bloom they cover not just what you see here, but the whole edge of the point in a carpet of blossoms. I love to take people down the trail and watch their astonishment when they see so many blossoms. This piece of land has been largely untouched for about a hundred years or so, so the little plants have not been disturbed. In fact, we encourage them by clearing the edge of taller plants.  This is such a brief and lovely display and few people ever see it.  Joyce

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AERIALS: Simpson Hill trails and colours from the air.

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Hi

Here are 3 pics I shot of our recent work area on Simpson Hill at 12:26 today with my Canon A650, reduced to 1/2 size and tweaked with PSP 1 step photo fix.

The first one shows Chamcook Rd #3 and the dirt road into the rail bed, our Trailhead #3.

As you can see, there are lots of shades of yellow, and I don't know which are Beech trees in order to find our grove. We can only guess where our trails go. The poplars, birch, striped maple and some other maples are yellow too!

Its easier to see the pines amongst the spruce as they are a lighter green and have distinctive branches. Those dead looking trees may also be the old pines we saw.

Even with more resolution our trails would be invisible, but its nice seeing "our" forest from an eagle's perspective.  Its "Acadian" nature is really obvious this time of year.

tj

Fundy Mystery Apple

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Sorry about the previous post that just said "Fundy Mystery".  Hit the wrong key or something!

Hi
I have a couple of wild apple trees, widely separated, that produce a red apple that has flesh tinged with red throughout as per attached photo. The bigger of these trees has grown from a seedling that I have watched grow from a sprout beside my driveway since about 1980.

A friend said it was a "Brunswicker", but the description in
http://www.appleman.ca/korchard/history.htm and
http://www.appleman.ca/korchard/NewBrun.htm
does not match.

I heard that Kingsbrae Gardens had such an apple in their selection of old varieties, but I forget its name. It was at the back of the row, on the left, as I recall.

This is such an attractive and delicious apple I'd like to know more about it, and, if it is indeed unusual, perhaps propagate it by grafting, but I am very ignorant about this art and science. I'd like to see New Brunswick regain its lead as an apple producer, and cider too!

I realize that every seed grown from an apple will probably produce a different variety, so to have two similar wild apples on my property (maybe more) seems unusual, as is this pink fleshed apple.

I look forward to your comments.
Tim Foulkes

Witch Hobble

Art,

Attached are two images of witch hobble, also called hobble bush.  For those who aren’t familiar with the shrub, notice the large showy flowers clustered around the smaller inner flowers. In the attached larger image, many of the smaller inner flowers have not yet opened.  The outer flowers are sterile; the small inner flowers are fertile and have both male and female parts.

Hobble bush is one of the earliest spring-flowering shrubs; it grows 2-4 meters (6-12 ft) high.  The shrub gets its name from the fact that its branches take root where they touch the ground, easily forming obstacles that trip people walking in the woods.  The fruit is red, turning black when ripe.  Deer, moose, snowshoe hare and birds feed on the hobble bush’s fruit, twigs, and leaves.

HLB at RCIP

The bog is in bloom, May 24th Joyce

I always like to see the bog blooming like a garden in the spring. Joyce

The Bay of Fundy as a Japanese Garden

Driving between Bayside and Oak Bay these days is, for me, a real Ooo-Aah experience.
I went out this morning to try to capture some of it to share with those less fortunate.
The "Wild pear" (shad bushes) are mostly in bloom, the pin cherries are just beginning, and choke cherries won't be far behind, and then we have all the wild apple trees already in bud.
- enough to make one weep with the beauty of it all.
Cherish and enjoy!

Tim 

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Better coltsfoot image

Reports of Coltsfoot in bloom

Art and others,

Although I did not see it personally, I will pass on word from an excellent source that  coltsfoot was blooming on Campobello on March 14.

Harold

Campobello, Nov. 14th.

Back on the same limb. Winter is coming.  Campobello, November 14th.  Joyce

The best leaf photo.  October,  Joyce

More blueberry fields

These fields are Wyman's- on the way to Ellsworth.  Joyce

http://casa-del-campo.smugmug.com/Campobello-Island-NB-Canada/the-bog-fall-2009/9917941_cBx4k#687319200_cmTM5

Lion's Mane Jellyfish, Sunflower, and Peregrine at St. Andrews

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Hi Art,
I just thought I'd send a photo of the latest, and unfortunately late, Pagan Point salt marsh visitor. A small lions mane jellyfish. It showed up on Sunday, Oct. 4. It's about 18" diameter. They can apparently grow to 6 feet, but that would be in your domain of knowledge.

It's also the time of year for sunflowers. I was on the porch this week and was looking at my one large one that faces the street. They are as beautiful from the back as the front.

Also, if folks are keeping track, there was a female peregrine flying over the marsh on Friday, Oct. 2.

Steve

Blueberry Field, October

One more shot of the field. Joyce

Bay of Fundy's Blazing Blueberry Fields at Quoddy

Blueberry fields are wonderful with the trees turning now- ablaze in color!  Joyce

And the Mystery Vine is ...

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Sean Blaney wrote:
Hello Tim and Rick,

This is an exceptionally robust colony of Fallopia cilinodis (=Polygonum cilinode), Fringed Bindweed. The shape of the basal lobes of the leaves (truncate, or sort of "squared off") is a useful distinction in comparison to Fallopia scandens (=Polygonum scandens). The latter species is relatively uncommon in NB, being found only in quite rich floodplain soils and very
rarely along the margins of saltmarshes on the Northumberland shore. The bright red stems (which are not always present, especially when the plant is in low light) are useful in distinguishing the plant from non-flowering Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium), which is remarkably similar in general growth form and leaf shape. A close examination of the nodes, where the leaves join the stem, would reveal a fringe of hairs encircling the stipular sheath (called an ocrea in this family). That is also distinctive for the species from all other similar plants, and it is what gives the species its common and scientific names. Fringed Bindweed is a generally fairly common to common species throughout the province and is native to our region. It occurs in a variety of habitats but does well in clearcuts, forest openings and floodplains.

Cheers,
Sean Blaney

Sean Blaney, Botanist & Assistant Director
Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre
PO Box 6416, Sackville, NB. E4L 1G6. 


Photo Credit: Tim Foulkes

Mystery Vine at Bay of Fundy's Simpson Hill

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Here is something new to be seen in the wilderness on Simpson Hill. (Just starting up Yellow Jacket trail from branch to Cedars trail)

The first photo is an overall view of the vine that has "taken root" near the broken top of a very tall  (30 ft) stump of an old poplar tree (second photo) which is leaning over so that the tendrils of  the vine have descended to the ground along the trunk of a fir tree, last photo.

These are not Tarzan compatible but could be fun for fairies, pixies, etc. I have not been up this part of the Yellow Jacket trail since early spring, but feel that this must be all one seasons growth!

It does not have any nasty razor wire type barbs like some vines from the deep south, so am inclined to leave it, even if it is an invasive species. Who knows what forest critters may be enjoying it?

Any ideas?

Tim

Wild Apple Joy at Bay of Fundy's Quoddy Region

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The abundance of wild apples from abandoned orchards and the saplings grown from their seed seems to be an under-appreciated aspect of our region.

This is also the food of many a critter upon which a lot of our wildlife probably depends, although certainly not the whales and eagles that have been in focus of late.

These large crab apples make a wonderful deep red jelly and, from the same mash, a rich pink apple sauce, or can be pickled in a sweet spiced vinegar syrup to enjoy whole with your favourite roast beast. I can only imagine what a fine sparkling rose cider they would make!

Tim Foulkes, Bayside, NB