Fritillary

I was so happy that I hadn't left it too late to photograph these gorgeous Fritillary flowers, as they are spring-flowering. These were growing at the Reader Rock Garden.

Was out for our Snake Monitoring today (not a single snake to be seen inside the hibernaculm, but one did slither through the grass while we were walking in the nearby area afterwards), and then I went out for a short drive south west of the city to find me some Mountain Bluebirds : ) Found one very co-operative little female and her more distant mate. Three or four Tree Swallows made several attempts to take over the nesting box, but those Bluebirds were ready to defend it!

Sorry I haven't been on Flickr much recently! I'm having some extremely long days of botanizing, which completely exhaust me. Spring and summer are such a contrast to our long, cold, endless winter, and I have to cram in as much exploring and recording as I possibly can (and more!) Not to mention that the lack of going for walks for about eight winter months made my body extremely painful, so I have to get in as much walking as I can before next winter arrives.