Welcome!
Welcome to the mon@rch nature blog and I hope you join us in some of our nature adventures through the Allegany State Park area!
I am a naturalist, field biologist and nature photographer from the Western New York area. I have started exploring nature writing through this blog and it truly has been fun sharing my numerous adventures with everyone. Thanks to the many other authors that help me with my post and they will be sharing some of their nature explorations.
I have always had a latent interest in birds and photography and have been lucky enough to find time to explore these interests over the last few years. I am very thankful to the Cattaraugus County Bird Club for getting me started, sharing their wealth of knowledge and for their wonderful programs. And many thanks to Tom for letting me share some of my adventures and photos on the Monarch Nature Blog.
Thank you for taking the time visiting and commenting on this blog.
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Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
that is incredible–what is the time frame on the photos? Today I saw several white lady slippers in with the pink one–would that be a different type or just ones with different pigment?
8 June 2008 at 7:25 pm
This is really nice. Such a interesting flower in so many ways.
8 June 2008 at 7:59 pm
Too cool!
8 June 2008 at 8:10 pm
What a beautiful flower, Tom! Thanks for sharing it’s life with us!
8 June 2008 at 8:23 pm
I have a post about pink lady slippers in my “drafts” folder… doesn’t seem to want to get written this spring… maybe next year? or maybe in a few days… we’ll see….
8 June 2008 at 8:45 pm
Love this series! Very cool!
8 June 2008 at 9:02 pm
The eloquence of a lifetime in one flower. Well done.
8 June 2008 at 9:39 pm
I read your blog regularly and love it! Ladyslippers are wonderful, aren’t they? What a treasure to find them in the forest. Lovely pictures.
8 June 2008 at 9:55 pm
The Pink Lady Slipper is my birth state’s state flower. I’ve always loved them. Beautiful photos of the Pink Lady Slipper.
8 June 2008 at 9:58 pm
@ Beth – these were taking multiple years but over a time frame of less than a month.
@ Jeremy – thanks and they are nice even when dieing
@ Patrick – thanks
@ Pam – Thanks and glad you enjoyed!
@ Winterwoman – pull those out from you draft folder! They are still in flower and would love to see them here soon!
@ Liza – Thanks
@ Robin – Thanks and it is amazing what these flowers will encounter!
@ Carolyn – Thanks and glad you enjoy my blog! These were taken in one of my favorite places. Thanks again for visiting!
@ Linda – Very cool and they are easy to love!
8 June 2008 at 10:28 pm
I’ve seen yellow ones so far, but no pink. And the ones in Wisconsin aren’t really all pink – they are pink and white, and usually in July.
I love your sequencing of your ladyslipper- very nice.
8 June 2008 at 11:11 pm
Very interesting to see this. Thanks!
9 June 2008 at 12:21 am
What a lovely series..
9 June 2008 at 7:44 am
Nice!
9 June 2008 at 7:54 am
What a cool sequence. Did you just come to the same place and take pictures day after day?
9 June 2008 at 8:16 am
I think people went crazy picking them in Alabama, years ago. We have so few left now that if a wildflower enthusiast finds any, they’ll never tell where!
9 June 2008 at 8:44 am
The life of a beautiful flower… so lovely.
9 June 2008 at 9:02 am
Beautiful!!
9 June 2008 at 9:34 am
What a wonderful series of photos Mon@rch. You are so lucky to have these beautiful ladies in your area. I have only seen them in the wild a couple of times.
9 June 2008 at 9:53 am
I love those pictures–would really like to see a pink or any kind of lady’s slipper. They are some of my favorite flowers.
9 June 2008 at 11:52 am
Lovely set of pictures Tom. In PA where I lived for fifty years, there were only a few times I saw and orchid in the wild, and I spent a great deal of time exploring many PA state parks and what ever woods I came across. To me finding a lady slipper of any type was the ultimate prize in my hunt to locate and photograph wildflowers.
Now that I live in Chautauqua County NY I see them every spring in several different locations.
Imagine my joy to learn that they grow right here in the woods at my new home. No matter how often I see my lady slippers, (and I visit them often) I still get a thrill.
Living here is truly a “little piece of heaven”!
I also found a few round leaf orchid plants blooming and photographed them two or three years ago. Unfortunately when I went back to check on them a few weeks later, something had eaten the stems and flowers. I have checked back each spring, but have seen no signs of it coming back.
9 June 2008 at 2:45 pm
Beautiful! What kind of a scale are these on?
9 June 2008 at 3:21 pm
Awesome! I love the shot that is dark with only one flower – gorgeous!
9 June 2008 at 5:12 pm
Well, there’s not much more I can say about these beautiful pictures. I did enjoy and appreciate them, though. Thanks for sharing them!
9 June 2008 at 7:40 pm
@ Bo – I have only seen the pink ones! Thanks for your kind words!
@ Lana – Thanks
@ Birdlady – thanks
@ Nick- thanks
@ Science Guy – these were actually done over a few years but all in the same location.
@ Rurality – I can’t believe people are out picking these! We have this problem also and others dig them up to plant in their yard.
@ Jayne – Thanks
@ threecollie – thanks
@ Lisa – thanks and we have many wonderful ladies in this area.
@ Joan – thanks and they are neat to see!
@ Barbara – thanks and we have a few species of orchids around. The park has a good number of Large Round Leaf Orchids but have not seen any yet this year in flower (then again have not be looking)!
@ Trixie – thanks and they are about 10-12 inches tall. Is this what you are looking for?? Sorry everyone is so use to macro shots!
@ Bird Girl – thanks
@ Rondi – thanks and I enjoy your kind words!
9 June 2008 at 8:05 pm
That’s exactly what I was asking! Thanks so much.
10 June 2008 at 12:53 am
Great shots! Wild orchids are always such a treat to see – thanks for sharing yours!
10 June 2008 at 1:32 am
Tom,
This is a really neat series of photos. I continue to learn so much from your posts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ladyslipper, but they must grow in the woodlands here in Wisconsin.
Your photos help me see more of life than I would otherwise.
10 June 2008 at 2:51 pm
Oh that’s just the coolest!!! That’s really neat to see step by step!
10 June 2008 at 5:51 pm
There are a lot of different flowers and plants growing. Lady Slippers are cool even though they have a girly name.
10 June 2008 at 8:42 pm
Hi Tom,
Wonderful! I saw Lady Slippers in P.E.I. a few years ago. I think they are endangered in the U.S.
wonderful you have them so near.
Beautiful wildflower.
Sherry
10 June 2008 at 9:15 pm
@ Trixie – great!
@ Adam – thanks and glad you enjoyed!
@ Caroline – Thanks and glad you enjoy! Get out and enjoy the woods around where you live!
@ Chicago – Thanks and it is neat seeing them step by step!
@ Dakota – LOL, thanks and they do have a girly name . . . but then again they are pink! 🙂
@ Sherry – how cool you have found them. All orchids are of concern in US! Thanks
10 June 2008 at 9:48 pm
Awesome sequence.
11 June 2008 at 12:07 am
That’s a wonderful sequence!
A Fellow birder drove eight hours to get a Calypso Fairy Slipper!
11 June 2008 at 4:41 pm
I agree with Barbara’s opinion of Chautauqua County, but I have to say Allegany State Park is a bigger piece of heaven.
We have to find Yellow Lady’s Slippers and Showy Ladies Slippers. Both are in the park — somewhere.
11 June 2008 at 11:08 pm
I love Lady Slippers! I always feel so lucky to even see one. This is a great series!
12 June 2008 at 11:48 am