Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: south eastern Alberta

Plains Garter Snake

28 Jun 2010 209
Didn't manage to get a good shot of this Plains Garter Snake, but wanted to post the "best" one as this was the first time I had ever seen this species of Garter Snake - I think we only get the Wandering and the Red-sided Garter Snakes in and around Calgary. One of the people who were on a walk at Purple Spring Sand Dunes, near Taber (southern Alberta) yesterday, spotted this snake slithering through the grass. Almost impossible to get my camera to focus on the snake and not the blades of grass : ) Alberta has just these three kinds of Garter Snake, so it's a good feeling to have now seen all three. As you can see, the orange/yellow stripe starts at the head and goes all the way along the back of the snake. It was a three-hour drive down there and three hours back home, plus the driving we did when we were down that way, and of course the walking we did. Much too hot for me! The area doesn't really live up to its beautiful name - basically, it just looks like prairie grassland, though we did see some plant-covered sand. Saw some good plants, including several new ones, though all my photos turned out to be very disappointing. The glaring afternoon sun made it quite a challenge - plus the fact that I was absolutely wilting in the heat! Also, my biggest concern was that I kept an eye on it, to make sure I moved fast if it started slithering in my direction (which it did, once)!

Sand Dock (Rumex venosus)

28 Jun 2010 170
I think I'm right in identifying this plant as Wild Begonia/Sand Dock/Veined Dock (Rumex venosus). It is found along roadsides, dry soil and sand dunes. We wondered what this plant was when we first saw it on our way to Purple Spring Sand Dunes, near Taber, yesterday. It gave such a wonderful colour to the roadsides. "During the fruiting phase, this species resembles a begonia, hence the common name. Wild Begonia is often one of the first plants to establish itself on active sand dunes. The tender young shoots were used as a rhubarb or spinach replacement by early pioneers. The Blackfoot made a burnt orange dye from the peeled roots." From "Plants of Alberta" by France Royer and Richard Dickinson (Lone Pine publication).

Bee Spiderflower, Cleome serrulata

29 Jun 2010 184
This was a new plant for me, seen on a long day trip to south eastern Alberta, to botanize the Purple Spring Sand Dunes on 27th June. This native wildflower, Cleome serrulata, goes by various common names including Beeplant, Spiderflower, Pink Cleome, Rocky Mountain Beeweed, Rocky Mountain Beeplant, Bee Spiderflower, stinking clover, and Navajo spinach. It grows on disturbed prairie and sandy roadsides, and blooms June-July. "It is an annual plant growing to 10-150 cm tall, with spirally arranged leaves. The leaves are trifoliate, with three slender leaflets each 1-7 cm long. The flowers are reddish-purple, pink, or white, with four petals and six long stamens." From Wikipedia. www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CLSE