Young Black Tailed Deer rooting for apples in the snow in the orchard behind our house. Black Tails and Mule deer are considered to be varieties of the same species. They eat grass and browse freely, particularly if it is something that you planted and wanted to keep. Photo: Near Rainier, Or 12/20/2008
Sitka Valerian “”Valeriana sitchensis” Valerian Family (Valerianaceae). Perennial, plant 1-4′ tall, flowers white or pinkish with pistil and stamens extending beyond the petals. Blooms in mid-summer at higher elevations in meadows in the mountains of OR & WA. Photo: Mt Rainier, WA on 7/27/2006
Magenta Paintbrush “Castilleja parviflora” Snap Dragon Family (Schrophulariaceae). Perennial, plant 8-16″ tall, flowers green to yellowish green and tubular in the midst of rose-purple bracts. Blooms midsummer in alpine meadows in mid to high elevations in the Olympic mts of WA and the Cascades Of Or & WA. Photo; Mt Rainier, WA 7/26/2006
Avalanche Lily “Erythronium montanum” Lily Family (Lilliaceae). Perennial, corm, plant 6-8″ tall, flowers 1-4 glistening white with yellow orange base. Blooms in mountain meadows in large patches after the snow melts in the Cascades of OR and WA and in the higher peaks in the Coastal Mts. Photo: Mt. Rainier, WA 7/27/2006
Fan-Leaf Cinquefoil “Potentilla flabellifolia” Rose Family (Rosaceae) Perennial, plant 6-12″ tall, leaves fan shaped with 3 leaflets, flowers with 5 yellow petals and approx 20 stamens. Blooms all summer in meadows at higher elevations in the Cascades of OR & WA, Olympics in WA and in Eastern OR & WA. Photo: Mt. Rainier, WA 7/27/2006.
Mount Hood is volcanic in origin and is located approximately 50 miles east-southeast of Portland, OR. This peak is 11,249′ above sea level. The last major eruption was in 1781-82 and there was a minor eruption in 1907. Photo: Near Estacada, OR 1/22/2009 © 2009 mkellar
Tatoosh Mountains view as seen from Paradise on the south side of Mt.Rainier with Sitka Valerian “Valerian sitchensis” , Pasqueflower “Anemone occidentalis” Subalpine Lupine ” Lupinus latifolius”, and Magenta Paintbrush “Castilleja parviflora”. Photo: Mt Rainier, WA 7/27/2006 © 2006 mkellar
Western Hazel “Corylus cornuta” Birch Family (Betulaceae). Perennial shrub or small tree 10 to 20′ tall, male flowers in a catkin 1.5 to 3″ long, small bright red female flowers are in a bundle of 2 to 6 which generally produce one or two nuts. Blooms in early spring in damp places in wooded areas in Western OR & WA. Photo: near Clatskanie, OR 3/14/2007 © 2007 mkellar
Goldthread “Coptis laciniata” Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae). Perennial, plant 4-8″ tall, leaves divided into 3 leaflets which are divided into lobes, flowers white with 5-7 narrow sepals and 5-7 shorter and narrow petals. Seeds stalked and arranged in a rosette. Roots are a deep yellow beneath the bark. Blooms in the spring in the moist woods and stream banks of Western OR & WA. Photo: Little River near Glide, Or. 4/25/08 © 2008 mkellar
Bald Eagle pair perched in a cottonwood tree overlooking the Columbia River near Rainier, Or. The females are half again as large as the males and you can usually tell them apart when they are together. I saw a pair of eagles high above Sauvie Island some years back and the male was dive bombing the female as part of their courtship behavior. Reportedly they also lock talons and cartwheel down towards the earth, separating just in time to avoid striking the ground. This behavior apparently also takes place during aggression/defense of territory confrontations. Photo: 3/15/07 © 2007 mkellar