Bruce Peninsula

[Wendy]

A few photos from my trip to the Bruce Peninsula. I only found two Calypso orchids this time. One had been pollinated so with any luck some of the seed will germinate. At the same site last year there were many more Calypsos but one of the big pine trees that provided shade had blown down over the winter and the area is now pretty bright. Hopefully the surrounding trees grow quickly to shade the area again. The site where the Ram's Head grow was unbelievable....there were so many! And not just one place either. They seem to be spreading in great number.

 

[biothanasis]

Great pics Wendy!!!!! TY for sharing!!!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Very cool! I especially like the Corallorhiza striata - a pretty uncommon species in the east. Are you going back to catch Cyp. reginae in flower?

 

[Wendy]

Thanks! I enjoy my annual trip.

There was a clump of Cyp reginae that I photographed every year. This year it was gone....some %$#@*& has dug it up. Man I'd love to catch somebody doing that. Why are some people so stupid? I searched hi and low for another clump but had no luck finding one.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Thanks! I enjoy my annual trip.

There was a clump of Cyp reginae that I photographed every year. This year it was gone....some %$#@*& has dug it up. Man I'd love to catch somebody doing that. Why are some people so stupid? I searched hi and low for another clump but had no luck finding one.

Yeah, it is frustrating. Locally, most orchids are very rare these days, either due to changes in habitat or from collecting pressure. Just thirty years ago Kyushu was a "Calanthe garden" (so I've been told), but nowadays all you see is the relatively common C. discolor. I once found one wild plant of C. sieboldii, but when I went back to photograph it the next spring, all that was left was a hole. Even C. discolor is collected still, especially the darker, rounder flower forms or large clumps. What is stupid is that they are easily grown from seed these days and can be bought fairly cheaply. Ah well...

 

[SlipperFan]

It would make me want to sit out there with a shotgun!

Nice pics, Wendy.

 

[NYEric]

Very nice, thanx for sharing.

 

[Clark]

Love your photos! Sorry to hear you have scumbags in your area, didn't
think plant poachers were so common.

 

[Drorchid]

Great Pictures. I agree with you on the scum bag. The sad thing is that when people dig up those plants they often don't know anything about those plants, plant them in the wrong spot and they only live for a few years...

Robert

 

[streetmorrisart]

Lovely, Wendy! It looks as though you were there shortly after we were. We usually go the few days just before their orchid festival. I too found many Corallorhiza striata, but decided my photos of them didn't do the blossoms justice. (Some of mine are posted over in the "other orchid photos" section and you may enjoy seeing the white Calypso I found.) I know exactly where those Ram's Heads are and love them dearly. I like to think they're too diminutive for the average piece of #$%^ orchid poacher to bother with, but that never keeps me from being a little worried they won't be there when I go back (I've been appreciating them for quite a few years now). I've never seen C. reginae though--I think we're always a little early. Also frustrating (but less so) is that Shipwreck Lee's isn't usually open yet when we go--I love their Georgian Bay whitefish fish and chips!

 

[streetmorrisart]

It would make me want to sit out there with a shotgun!

And, yes, if I were lucky enough to live in Tobermory, I would probably psychotically keep vigil over the C. arietinum as often as possible.

 

[Wendy]

Thanks guys! I love going up there and can't wait for next spring now.

Robin...I was up there from Sunday until yesterday. Too bad I didn't know you were going or we could have met up and searched together. Did you see both big colonies of Ram's head at Singing Sands? I have been going up for 4 years now and have seen the population grow every year. Where did yo usee the calypso? The one I saw was on the mainland near the vistor centre. There were more last year but a tree had fallen over during the winter and let too much sun in so the only Calypsos I saw (2) were on the edge in the shadiest part.

PS....go to Craigies for a whitefish dinner. They are the BEST!

 

[cnycharles]

nice pictures! I've heard that the c. striata isn't uncommon in that general area. i've still yet to find calypso in the east though I haven't been looking as long as some people have... if only work weren't an issue (yeah right) and free time not allowed in early spring

 

[streetmorrisart]

Thanks guys! I love going up there and can't wait for next spring now.

Robin...I was up there from Sunday until yesterday. Too bad I didn't know you were going or we could have met up and searched together. Did you see both big colonies of Ram's head at Singing Sands? I have been going up for 4 years now and have seen the population grow every year. Where did yo usee the calypso? The one I saw was on the mainland near the vistor centre. There were more last year but a tree had fallen over during the winter and let too much sun in so the only Calypsos I saw (2) were on the edge in the shadiest part.

PS....go to Craigies for a whitefish dinner. They are the BEST!

Hi Wendy. I was there from the 25th to the 29th of May. The trip was essentially our 9th anniversary present to ourselves. Yes, I'm familiar with the populations at Singing Sands and have happily noted their growth. I, too, found the Calypsos only on the mainland this year (the weather kept us from being able to get to Flowerpot). Oh yeah, Craigies is totally decent. We went there the year before last, but are nostalgic about the places we went the first time we were there--it was our honeymoon.

 

[fundulopanchax]

Nice plants, Wendy! I hope to visit the Bruce Peninsula some time, all photos show it to be a wonderful place.

Ron

 

[John M]

'Glad that you had a good time, Wendy. Your photos are great! I've never seen the Ram's Head Cyp in person. It's beautiful! Too bad about the Cyp. reginae. Is that the big clump that you all saw from the bus a few years back....right near the road? It was only a matter of time until someone took it. Too bad! As I recall, there weren't a whole lot of them; so, it was important that every plant remained untouched and make seeds. Hopefully, it made seeds in years past and there are seedlings lurking in the tall grass.

About 15 years ago, I was up north and found a field full of Cyp. reginae amongst the tall razer grass. Ouch! It was a soggy piece of land that was part of an Ontario Hydro tower corridor. I spent hours randomly moving from plant to plant cross-pollinating flowers. Then, in the fall, I went back to collect a small quantity of seed. However, by then the whole area was under about 3 feet of water!!!! A beaver had built a dam in front of the only drainage outlet for the whole area. It was just a single steel pipe under the road and this small beaver dam did the job very well! Stupid giant rodents!

I made some calls and found out that where the dam had been built was part of the road right of way. So, I called the roads department and tried to explain that "rare" orchids were groing in the flooded area and if they removed the dam a.s.a.p. and relocated the beaver, there was still a chance that the Cyps would come back in future years. I couldn't tell; but, if the area had flooded towards the end of the summer season, the Cyps would pretty much have finished their growing and may have gone dormant again. They do like VERY wet locations, so they probably have the ability to put up with occasional flooding.

I never went back; so, I don't know what happened....didn't like to think about it, as it didn't seem that the roads dept guys gave a hoot. The people I spoke to seemed floored that I wanted them to spend their time dealing with this just to save some "flowers in a ditch". The dam was small, by beaver standards; but, it was not something that could be taken apart by hand. It needed to be destroyed by something big like a back-hoe. Plus, the beaver would just rebuild if it was not apprehended and removed. The roads dept guys likely did not do anything about it. 'Made me very sad.