One of the nice things about having mountains in your backyard is that you can go hike anytime you get the itching for it. So a trip out to Wilsons Mills and up Aziscohos Mt. Elevational differences in Maine's western mountains is wild. At Rangeley, (elevation 1518') it's at least 2 weeks behind Farmington (elevation 480'). Wilsons Mills (at the trailhead for the trail is 1730') and the Hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) is in bloom, trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is out and the trilliums are bloomed. In Rangeley we only have trilliums in bloom. Aspens are out in both locales.
Black flies are hideous out to Wilsons Mills, just getting underway in Rangeley.
On top, a stiff breeze kept the blackflies at bay, while it made for some good acrobatics for s couple of mourning cloaks, the commas kept lower. While sitting watching the view,(Mt Washington was very clearly visible and remarkably I believe Katahdin was also spotted. A perfect day.
A trio of bald eagles soared overhead and then in habitat that I didn't expect it, a tiger beetle showed up.No sand, just spruce-fir trees and bare rock, scrub, lichens and moss. He was pretty, green head,thorax and abdomen, and bronzy elytra. Maculations were just dots, 4 I believe.
2 comments:
Great photos. I love painted trilliums. I haven't gotten to see them often. While at Colby, I knew of a tiny patch outside of Waterville, and I'd hike out there each spring to visit them. Unfortunately, their blooming time tended to coincide with finals. Hobblebush is a characteristic shrub in my old home town, and a species that I miss now that I live here in the Midwest. We do have yellow trout lilies here in Illinois, but they are quite rare. The white variety is much more comman.
Thank you ,Doug.
The Hobblebush is all a nice uniform height of about 3 feet. Heavily browsed my moose. Spring truly is a great time of the year.
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