Home - Jim Fowler Photography

Time 2021-05-02 08:07:35

Web Name: Home - Jim Fowler Photography

WebSite: http://www.jfowlerphotography.com

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Cypripedium acaule or Pink Lady s-slipper orchids, that is After a full day and night of thunderstorms and heavy rain, the morning broke clear and cool. I would have preferred a bit of overcast, but you take what you can get. The trip up to one of my favorite South Carolina Heritage Preserves was fairly uneventful except for the thought of the flowers having been pummeled by the heavy rain. And the thought that I might be early for catching any Pink Lady s-slipper orchid flowers in bloom.I arrived at the first site, and as usual, I had nothing to worry about. After walking the short distance from the road into the woods to where the orchids grow, I began to see a few immature plants with their sets of two leaves poking up through the past winter s leaf litter. A few more steps brought the first of about a dozen flowering orchid plants. Here is the first one I photographed. It is a pair of pouches in a pretty pose:Pink Lady s-slipper orchids (more ) If you have been keeping up with this nature blog over the years, you will know that this time of year takes me to one of South Carolina s premier, but little known, Heritage Preserves. It s called Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve, and it hosts the Southeast s largest population of the rare and threatened Helonias bullata or Swamp Pink. HERE is the US Forest Service plant profile for Helonias bullata. Although the bogs in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey are ground zero for this species, at last count (a couple of years ago) there were in excess of 5,000 plants in the 3 bogs that comprise the population in the Upstate of South Carolina. I know, because I and a couple of other brave souls counted them. If you think you d like to visit this Heritage Preserve, please give it another thought. It s miles and miles of one-lane, winding, mountainous, gravel road in the middle of nowhere, and once you get there, it s a grueling slog through the Rhododendron, Cat-briars, and Mountain Laurel Hells to the bogs where these plants grow. Due to the fragility of the habitat and rarity of the plants, needless to say, I will not be providing directions. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it doesn t take much to destroy a fragile population of plants.Here is a sample of what the Swamp Pink flowers look like: Swamp Pink (more ) Hey Folks, first let me apologize for sending this test notification. I have been working with the design team at my hosting site, HostPapa.com, for the past month to revamp the functionality of my blog. It pretty much looks the same, but should run faster and be more efficient. You will probably notice a few minor/subtle changes, but for the most part, it will be the same blog format that I had before. Toward the bottom of each post and before the comments section, you will find a yellow DONATE button. Please do not be put off by this or feel, in any way, that you should use it. This was placed by the design staff after hearing that I do not receive any funding for the blog through outside sources. I write the blog because I m passionate about nature photography and about getting out into the wild to share with you my experiences in nature. Clicking on the button will take you to PayPal, where a donation may be made. That s all it is.If this test notification works, expect a few more normal blog posts quite soon I ve been very busy out in the field.All my best, Jim This post is pretty long, so before you begin, go get yourself an adult beverage and some snacks. Here goes Recently, I received an email from a man whom I have known for a long time but have never met. His name is Shannon Spurling, and he is quite the naturalist. Due to his persistence and diligence, he has managed to find locations for many wildflowers which I have wanted to photograph for quite a while. When he mentioned Turtletown, Tennessee, I had to look it up, because I had no idea where it was located. Turns out, it is situated in extreme southeastern Tennessee Polk County, to be specific, which is on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. His family is from the area, and he has spent many years roaming the mountains and hills in the vicinity of Turtletown. Many thanks go out to him for trusting me with the location information.The wildflower species that created the most interest for me was a native orchid called, Corallorhiza wisteriana or Wister s Coralroot orchid. The last place I photographed it was in the Francis Marion National Forest, Berkeley County, South Carolina. I know it must seem odd that a coastal plains species would be found in the mountains, but it happens more times than one might imagine. Often, orchid species in particular will have a very narrow habitat preferences that can be found only in certain locations, e.g. sandy, loamy, high pH, low pH, wet, dry, etc. Fortunately, this orchid species seems to be more tolerant of growing conditions as long as they are moist and shaded.Here is a close-up example of this orchid species:Wister s Coralroot orchid (more ) Hey Folks, this initial message went out to all of my subscribers a few days ago. I realize now that some of you did not get this message. I have been working with the design team at my hosting site, HostPapa.com, for the past month to revamp the functionality of my blog, and there have been a few hiccups. The new blog design pretty much looks the same, but should run faster and be more efficient. You will probably notice a few minor/subtle changes, but for the most part, it will be the same blog format that I had before. Toward the bottom of each post and before the comments section, you will find a yellow DONATE button. Please do not be put off by this or feel, in any way, that you should use it. This was placed by the design staff after hearing that I do not receive any funding for the blog through outside sources. I write the blog because I m passionate about nature photography and about getting out into the wild to share with you my experiences in nature. Clicking on the button will take you to PayPal, where a donation may be made. That s all it is.************** Regularly scheduled blog post follows: ***********************Recently, Walter Ezell and I visited two special wildflower sites in the foothills of the Carolinas. They could be considered to be in the mountains , but technically they are at the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The first of these sites is in the uppermost portion of Greenville County, South Carolina spitting distance from the state border with North Carolina. It is a small site which has recently been added to Jones Gap State Park. This site is one of two or three locations for an odd Trillium species. It has been known about for a number of years, but only recently has work been done to nail down its true identity. Locally, it is known as the Jones Gap Trillium , but basically it looks like Trillium catesbaei or Catesby s Trillium except that its flower is erect to mostly erect above the leaves/bracts rather than hanging below the leaves/bracts as does the typical Catesby s Trillium.My neck of the woods, the extreme northwestern portion of South Carolina (called the Upstate ), is right in the middle of one of the richest Trillium regions of North America. I hesitate to enumerate the Trillium species in our region, but it is in the several dozens. And, as botanical progress moves onward, new species and forms are being identified.This Upstate site is also home to a large population of Aplectrum hyemale or Puttyroot orchid aka Adam-and-Eve orchid. About a year ago, I posted a blog detailing the orchid plants from this site, HERE. Since they aren t in flower until mid-May, all that was present on this visit is the large, single leaf, which generally withers before bloom time. There were also several other typical Spring ephemerals in flower at the time of our visit. But again, the target species was the Jones Gap Trillium.Jones Gap Trillium (more ) SUBSCRIBE TO JIM S BLOGLeave This Blank:Leave This Blank Too:Do Not Change This:Your email: © Jim Fowler and Jim’s Blog and jfowlerphotography.com, 2013 – 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. 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