Sunday, June 26, 2016

The Showy Lady's Slipper Orchids of Purdon

Purdon Conservation Area is the best part of an hour from us, but it has quite a colony of lady slipper orchids that reach full bloom in mid to late June. There is a boardwalk nestled into a swampy area that was not too swampy when we visited last week because it has been mostly dry here this spring and early summer.

As you can tell from the sign at the entrance, it is considered to be one of the seven wonders of Lanark County. Yeah, baby!


I am not very good at taking flower photos, or at least I wasn't on this day. Most were poorly focussed, but I manage to salvage a few shots although I was quite disappointed in myself that day.




There were a number of photographers milling about. We must be an introverted lot since most work in isolation and don't even acknowledge one another. If I am the guy making contact with others, it's really weird, since I am about the most introverted fella on the planet. I didn't say, shy, I said introverted; there's a difference.

I did take a few snaps of others, and Sue took a couple of me and I one of her.










12 comments:

ADRIAN said...

That's cheating. I have to lie in the muck for such pictures.

Anvilcloud said...

Adrian: I really should have got down more and taken my time more because most of my shots were fuzzy. It's just that I don't get up and down so easily. :(

Marie Smith said...

Your first photo looks like a watercolour. Gorgeous.

A beautiful place with a main attraction for such a short time every year. How wonderful it is a preserved area.

Donna said...

Always great shots! Now get back out there and when you see one of those elusive creatures with a camera, attain eye contact, lean a little bit forward then say, "Hello!"
I never meet a stranger but it wasn't always like that...
Happy photogging Ac!
hughugs

Ruth said...

I am going to add this to my calendar for next year. I love these flowers and they are so hard to find. I have seen 2;- one near here and one on Cape Breton Is.

troutbirder said...

They are truly gorgeous and thus I must admit are our State Flower here in Minnesota!

ADRIAN said...

John, If possible I hold the flower and rest the camera on my holding arm. Using manual focus it is easy to adjust and hold focus. A strobe helps.

Hena Tayeb said...

looks like a lovely day out.

Jenn Jilks said...

We meant to go, but I don't know where the time went.
We visited all 7 wonders of Lanark County when we first moved here!
I've been having fun trying to get to know my new lens!

Mage said...

I so enjoy these shots. Magic little flowers, they are.

Vicki Lane said...

You got some great shots -- of the orchids AND the other photographers.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

A few weeks ago while on a walk I also photographed some lady slippers but only had my cell phone with me, so the results were not as good as some of your captures here. Also, it seems that photographers can be a solitary group when photographing nature as I have often noted.