I went to a couple of my favourite places this morning primarily searching for rare and endangered orchids. They are getting harder to find as the trolls come into these places with their little pails and little shovels and desecrate the orchid patches. These trolls have no respect for nature, fellow orchid lovers or themselves. Our worst enemy in protecting these rare and endangered species is social media. Well meaning folks post details of their finds for all the world to see. These sites are rare bird alerts, nature forums and floral sites. They often use Facebook or Yahoo to disseminate information on birds and flowers. Education does not work.

I did find one small patch of Ram's Head Orchid. The rest of the row is gone! The orchid itself is about the size of a dime and low to the ground. One has to lay down on the ground to photograph these elegant orchids, sometimes a wet experience. The Yellow Ladies Slipper Orchid is just beginning to open. I only found one clump during a quick search although there are others around still closed. The Painted Trillium is not rare or endangered but still a treat to find and photograph.

Ram's Head Orchid

Ram's Head Orchid 1 Ram's Head Orchid 2 Ram's Head Orchid 3 Ram's Head Orchid 4 Ram's Head Orchid 5

Yellow Ladies Slipper Orchid

Yellow Ladies's Slipper Orchid 1 Yellow Ladies's Slipper Orchid 2 Yellow Ladies's Slipper Orchid 3

Painted Trillium

Painted Trillium 10 Painted Trillium 12 Painted Trillium 14 Painted Trillium 15