RHH's photos with the keyword: pass island

These wildflowers were photographed on Pass Island in Deception Pass State Park in western Washington. They are among the earliest wildflowers to bloom in that part of the state.

Spring Gold is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in western Washington. These were photographed on Pass Island in Deception Pass the first week in March. We had gone wildflower hunting there while on the west side of the Cascades.

Last week (March 4) we were on the west side of the Cascades and went looking for early spring wildflowers at Pass Island. We found three things in bloom and this Tall Oregongrape was one of them; just beginning to bloom. Pass Island is a small Island in the passage between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands and also between the two parts of the Deception Pass bridge. We often go there early in the spring looking for wildflowers. This is a shrubby plant, but the other two wildflowers we found were smaller and are shown in the insets. They were Grass Widows (Olsynium douglasii) and Spring Gold (Lomatium utriculatum), both just beginning to bloom.

The week of March 3-9 we were on the west side of the Cascades and went looking for the first wildflowers of spring, which are very late this year. We visited several locations and found a few wildflowers just starting to bloom at Pass Island. These are Grass Widows (I have no idea where the name came from) and there were just a few blooming. Pass Island lies in Deception Pass between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands and is also between the two sections of the Deception Pass Bridge. It is a place we often go for early spring wildflowers and for the bridge itself. We found there not only these wildflowers but a few Spring Gold (Lomatium) and some Sea Grape (Mahonia) starting to open.

The week of March 3-9 we were on the west side of the Cascades and went looking for the first wildflowers of spring, which are very late this year. We visited several locations and found a few wildflowers just starting to bloom at Pass Island. These are Grass Widows (I have no idea where the name came from) and there were just a few blooming. Pass Island lies in Deception Pass between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands and is also between the two sections of the Deception Pass Bridge. It is a place we often go for early spring wildflowers and for the bridge itself. We found there not only these wildflowers but a few Spring Gold (Lomatium) and some Sea Grape (Mahonia) starting to open.

The week of March 3-9 we were on the west side of the Cascades and went looking for the first wildflowers of spring, which are very late this year. We visited several locations and found a few wildflowers just starting to bloom at Pass Island. These are Grass Widows (I have no idea where the name came from) and there were just a few blooming. Pass Island lies in Deception Pass between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands and is also between the two sections of the Deception Pass Bridge. It is a place we often go for early spring wildflowers and for the bridge itself. We found there not only these wildflowers but a few Spring Gold (Lomatium) and some Sea Grape (Mahonia) starting to open.

Deception Pass is the most visited place in Washington with 2.7 million visitors in 2014. Much of the area is a state park, but except for the bridge itself the park seldom seems very busy. The bridge can walked and this is the part of the bridge from Whidbey Island to Pass Island (the other section of the bridge is to the left in the photo and crosses from Pass Island to Fidalgo Island). The photo was taken from the north shore of Whidbey Island. The pass was named by its discoverer, Joseph Vancouver, who was deceived by the pass into thinking that Whidbey Island was a peninsula and the water of the pass the mouth of a river.

Olsynium douglasii or Sisyrinchium douglasii is one of our earliest spring wildflowers. It seems to like dry rocky areas and this was photographed in just such a place, on Pass Island near Deception Pass.

This is another photo of the butterfly I posted some days ago (see inset). It's much more exciting with its wings open, but the underside of the wings is not without a beauty of its own. Sara's Orange Tip is Anthocaris sara, a butterfly that rarely rests. We were fortunate to find this one warming itself in the early morning sun and not yet active. The photo was taken on Pass Island in Deception Pass State Park.

When we saw these on the Douglas Firs at Pass Island we thought they were new growth, but learned later that these are the male cones. We didn't recognize them as cones because the female cones are pendant and look like cones even when they are very tiny. These did not look much like cones.

Deception Pass is a waterway separating Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands on the northwest coast of Washington. Its name comes from its discoverer, Captain George Vancouver, who was "deceived" into thinking it was river. It is known for its very strong currents when the tide is coming in or out and for its two-section cantilever bridge, 177 feet above the water and separated into two parts by Pass Island. The pass and bridge are part of Deception Pass State Park and the most visited spot in the state of Washington. The park is not only very scenic but also a wonderful place for wildflowers. This photo was taken from Pass Island, looking east toward the mainland. The inset photo shows the longest section of the bridge and Pass Island from the north shore of Whidbey Island. A week ago we hiked around Pass Island photographing the wildflowers.

These were the flowers we went to see at Pass Island. They are Grass Widows, Olsynium douglasii, some of the earliest spring wildflwoers here. We did not find many of the them, however, and those we did find were very hard to photograph in the strong breeze that was blowing.

Monday we were at the coast and first at Pass Island, the steep-sided island that divides Deception Pass from Canoe Pass. We were there early looking for Grass Widows when we spotted this beauty warming itself in the bright sunshine. Though normally very active the cool morning gave us plenty of time to take photos.

This is not an orchid but a native wildflower known as a Grass Widow, though I am not sure why. Perhaps because it is the first wildflower to bloom in the spring and blooms all alone, but that is just a guess. We went several weeks ago to Pass Island at Deception Pass to see these flowers and found that they were already nearly finished. We did get some decent photos, however, though the afternoon was quite windy and photography difficult.

The Deception Pass Bridge at its highest point is 177 feet above the water below. It is actually two spans, the shorter over Canoe Pass and the longer over Deception Pass, connecting at Pass Island, a small steep-sided island in the waterway. Pass Island is accessible by walking the bridge and this photo was taken from the island looking south towards Whidbey Island and Goose Rock (on the left). The inset photo below was taken from the shore of Whidbey Island and Pass Island is the land on the left.

One of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in our area, Olsynium douglasii grows in open woodlands and wet rocky meadows. These were photographed on Pass Island, the island that splits Deception Pass into two waterways and which connects the two parts of the Deception Pass bridge between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands. It is very widespread, however, since we also photographed this species in eastern Washington near Spokane. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/02/pass-island-and-goose-rock.html

Yesterday was dry, though mostly overcast, and we decided to take the afternoon off and go see the Grass Widows blooming at Pass Island. Once classified as Sisyrinchium douglasii, the plant, the only one of its genus in North America, is now Olsynium douglasii. It is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in our area and is native to the Pacific Northwest. Why it is called "Grass Widow" I do not know. The fairly large Pass Island lies between Canoe Pass and Deception Pass in the waterway between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. The island connects the two spans of the Deception Pass Bridge and its maze of trails can be reached from the bridge. It is part of Deception Pass State Park, is uninhabited and is a good place to see some of our native wildflowers. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/02/pass-island...

Here's one more picture of the wildflower we went to see and photograph Tuesday. It's the Grass Widow, Olsynium douglasii, formerly Sisyrinchium douglasii. This was photographed on Pass Island between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. It is one of our earliest wildflowers and is also known as the Satin Flower. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/02/pass-island...