Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: west of Sundre

One of the lovely fungi we came across yesterday, when a handful of us botanized the Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary, west of Sundre. These ones are Oyster mushrooms, growing from an old, rotting log. They almost glow in the dark of the forest.

I don't think any of us would have noticed this tiny Wood Frog at the base of this tree if we hadn't happened to have been watching it jump in the grass. Seen yesterday, when a handful of us went to the Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary and west of Sundre. A good part of the day (I left home about 6:45 a.m. and got back around 7:00 p.m.) was spent exploring a forested area, recording all the flora and fauna of the location. In between, we would walk closer to the small lake through a bog area that was VERY wet - LOL, I had soaking wet feet for about nine hours of the day! However, we had seen from the road, at the start of our full day, that there were some yellow Pondlilies growing on the lake surface, and nothing would have stopped me from reaching them to get a few shots of this new (to me) flower! They are absoutely beautiful, and I was torn as to whether to upload a close shot of this or the little red mushroom. The mushroom won : ) The following link goes to a short, fascinating video on YouTube, about how Wood Frogs freeze solid in the winter. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM

I was thrilled to bits yesterday when friends called me over to see this beautiful, red mushroom! We don't usually see a sight like this, so it was an extra special surprise when we were exploring and botanizing the forest at the Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary and west of Sundre. And, yes, in case you are wondering, this really IS its colour : )

I felt so lucky to see another Police Car Moth when we spent all Thursday botanizing the Bentz Lake Natural Area (north of Calgary and west of Sundre). Perhaps unfortunate that its right wing tip is damaged, but it is still beautiful. It was resting on a branch and then friend David put his finger by it and the Moth climbed on to it. In large size (if you have time to take a peek), you can really see those feathery antennae (that belong to moths, not butterflies).

Two days later, I am STILL on a natural high after seeing these gorgeous, wild Yellow Pondlilies for the very first time. We spent a full day on Thursday botanizing the Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary and west of Sundre, and these Yellow Pondlilies were growing near the edge of the lake. To get to them from the forest where we were exploring, we had to make our way through a very watery bog, LOL. Apart from one small mishap that left one friend soaked to his upper thighs, we managed it with only soaking wet feet. This native, aquatic member of the Water-lily family grows in lakes and ponds June to August. The yellow flower is 4-7 cm across, has 6 yellow, petal-like sepals and several small, inconspicuous petals. Today, I was out with five friends, exploring and botanizing (recording all flora and fauna seen) the forest of Bragg Creek Provincial Park, west of Calgary. A perfect day weatherwise as well as far as enjoyment and sightings were concerned. Lots of mushrooms - though no brilliant red ones today, LOL!

This is a greatly enlarged photo of this Marsh Cinquefoil flower. The actual reddish purple flowers are 15-35 mm across. My plant book says that there are 5 purple sepals and 5 reddish petals, but my flower puzzles me as to just what is what : ) This native wildflower grows in marshes, bogs and shorelines, July-August. This one was seen in a bog by the lake at Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary and west of Sundre.