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Author Topic: Tatra Mountains  (Read 57663 times)

mark smyth

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #105 on: October 01, 2009, 11:38:17 PM »
Great photos from an area I want to go one day. I have friends in Slovakia who ask me to visit every spring
Antrim, Northern Ireland Z8
www.snowdropinfo.com / www.marksgardenplants.com / www.saveourswifts.co.uk

When the swifts arrive empty the green house

All photos taken with a Canon 900T and 230

Cephalotus

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #106 on: October 01, 2009, 11:43:22 PM »
I will never delete those photos from my photobucket account. It is good that I can edit my posts even after very long time. That allows me to make changes in my photobucket and still be able to edit posts, so that the photos won't disappear. :) I think, that I have found almost everything attractive in West Tatras, it is time to go now to High Tatras and find such as species like Saxifraga retusa, Saxifraga nivalis and who know what else. :) I am sure the landscapes will be outstanding there.

To all others. I have so much pleasure walking in Tatras, breathing fresh air, seeing all those great species and of course making photos for you so that you can experience at least a part of that pure beauty.

Mark, so you have no other option, than visit your Slovakian friend. I am sure you will visit Tatranska Lomnica and its Botanical Garden, where you will buy loads of Tatra plants. They have really funny low prices. IF you decide to go in summer, than we might even meet, and than I will be pleased to show you the area I know the best. :)

Chris
Best regards,
Chris Ciesielski
Zary, Poland

My photos: http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/cephalotus/

Cephalotus

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #107 on: October 04, 2010, 03:15:54 PM »
Hello everyone,
it is hard to show anything new, especially when I almost found everything what was to find in Tatra Mountains. There are still few species I haven't found yet, but hopefully one day I will manage to see them.

This year I also was in the mountains, but I am not sure whether I will go there next year too. I also had to slow down with uploading photos on my Photobucket account, because it began to get full and I need it for other photos as well.  I thought that it would be a good time to see something else. Probably I will got to Augustow search for rare and unique nature there.

For now I have some new photos for you. As always there will be some new species I found, some new photos I made of the old ones. I hope you enjoy them.

I will start my photo journey as it was in real time and the plants I fund each day on each track. I started everything with finding a single plant of Malaxis monophyllos (a good start) near my favourite bank not far from my accommodation. I have never seen it there, but it isn’t anything strange. This plant has about 5-7 cm high and when it does not flower it can be mistaken with many species for example Maianthemum bifolium, which also grows in many areas of Tatra Mountains. It was a good time for this species to flower, so when I found one I started to look after others in different Valleys. All will be shown later.

Malaxis monophyllos


Because, I already photographed most of Tatras species I didn’t waste time for making photos of those I already had photos. This is Androsace obtusifolia from the Ciemniak peak. I searched for it some time, but I knew it was right time for it. I found maybe 20 flowering plants. It is very rare plant in Tatra Mountains and I was happy finally to see it in the nature. Also thanks to Giles help I got this species seeds and I have this year 4 fine seedlings.

Androsace obtusifolia



A. obtusifolia (left) A. chamejasme (right)






Cortusa matthioli in Mala Laka Valley, unfortunately after flowering, but I also found Malaxis there, three plants.






Place/habitat where I fount those above.


Veronica alpine – I must say that I like photos of this one. :)




Saxifraga ascendens




Senecio capitatus – I fund I nice population of this one between Kondracka Kopa and Malolaczniak. But still it was about 30 flowering plants. I also managed to buy this species in Tatranska Lomnica this year so I can also grow it. We shall see how it will go in lowlands. :)







Pedifularis hecquetii – I knew location of this species population, although I have found few plants till now. This year I found about 100-200 flowering plants and it made an impression on me.










Juncus triglumis – it was growing in a spring, just a few plants and caught my attention. Pretty attractive, won’t you say?


Chamorchis alpestris - of course it would be impossible not to visit this one. I also managed to find one new population, although much smaller, so already I know 3 (4) different locations. One is on the same mountain.




Pseudorchis albida – this was a good year for this species. When in previous years I found just a few flowering plants in one place, this year I found about 18 near the path and also found a great population in new location.






Dactylorhiza fuschii/traunsteineri?? – to be honest I think it is the first one, but from my information in this place also grows the second species too. The problem is that the first one, wile being “starve” form can look like the second one. But it was a magical place. A cold water flowing through sphagnum moss. I was moving there on bare feet. It is hard to express that pleasure. I found there many interesting species. It was a real discovery this year. I was searching for Lingularia sibirica, unfortunately it probably extinct there.














Gymnadenia odorotissima


Litera ovata – a fly with a stamen stuck to its tongue. When it tried to get rid of it, it got even more stamen stuck.




Botrychium lunaria in fine lichen


Traunsteinera globosa – 5 plants clump, that does not occur often, so I made a photo. :)


Salix retusa heaving seeds


Pedicularis verticillata alba – next day it was gone, so there won’t be more plants of this form in area…


Pseudorchis albida – that new location






Gentiana punctata – fine population








Some rock art by myself ;-)


Senecio aurantaicus – new better photos from this year.








Rupicapra rupicapra – just by accident I found this herd, they weren’t much scared of people, but I also could not approach too near. Then the mother with her young saw me, they all started to recede slowly. The light was poor, so I couldn’t make fine photos, sorry.












Aster alpinus – fine clump


Ophrys insectifera – as I remember I found 3 plants heaving their very last flowers and counted about 30 all together.




Epipactis atrorubens - normally it has intense rubin-line color, this was different.


Some nice intense color Lilium martagon




Orobachne flava




Since that day the whether broker down and it was raining for nest 6 weeks In whole Poland, but I stall manager to make some nice photos In different places.


Mustela nivalis – this funny and energetic animal was playing in this wood, hiding, running and showing, approaching and running away from me. That took few minutes until some NICE tourists showed up and scared it away. I really won’t forget that one for sure!




Listera cordata – I finally could make a nice photo of this one. It took me over 40 minutes and all people was kindly staring on a weirdo crawling on the ground and making photos of something pretty much invisible for them. Oh, yeah. :D














A fog in mid day. :)






I think it is enough photos for now, but I still have what to surprise you with. That is about half (maybe more) that I have to show. I will add rest soon, maybe tomorrow.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2010, 03:38:16 PM by Cephalotus »
Best regards,
Chris Ciesielski
Zary, Poland

My photos: http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/cephalotus/

Carlo

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #108 on: October 04, 2010, 03:38:04 PM »
Wonderful! What a place (...and one I may never get to). Thank you.
Carlo A. Balistrieri
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ranunculus

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #109 on: October 04, 2010, 06:16:32 PM »
Brilliant tour Chris ... some wonderful images ... can't wait for the next posting.
Cliff Booker
Behind a camera in Whitworth. Lancashire. England.

Armin

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #110 on: October 04, 2010, 07:37:22 PM »
Chris,
marvelous pictures, mystic forests and meadows.
I envy you for this paradise.
Best wishes
Armin

Hans A.

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #111 on: October 04, 2010, 08:20:55 PM »
Fantastic pics of spectacular nature! Thanks a lot Chris for sharing your trip!
Hans - Balearic Islands/Spain
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Cephalotus

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #112 on: October 04, 2010, 08:42:40 PM »
Aah, yes. A mystic fog, well said Armin. It was really like some magic place when that dense fog appeared. In one moment you see the track, the people in front of you and another second they were gone. Just some sounds still reminded me they were there. Sometimes I hid nearby the tracks, so that I would not hear no sound. Everything was gone except of you and the mountains. You could feel their energy. It was a middle of a day and still it was grey like in the evening, quiet and peaceful. I could feel like I was the only human there. Freed from everyday problems, severed the connection with reality. Yes, that was something magical. Total silence. Surrounded by  immaculate nature. I wish I could live that state again...
« Last Edit: October 04, 2010, 08:46:41 PM by Cephalotus »
Best regards,
Chris Ciesielski
Zary, Poland

My photos: http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/cephalotus/

Armin

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #113 on: October 04, 2010, 09:03:09 PM »
Chris,
you picture a romantic moment of total lonelyness we adore to have, being physical and spiritual merged with nature.
But in the next moment the bitter reality is we are surrounded by millions of cars and have to deal daily with idiots and ignorants!  >:( ;D
Best wishes
Armin

TheOnionMan

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #114 on: October 05, 2010, 12:47:31 AM »
Wonderful series Chris, I only caught up to the older postings today.  Marvelous plants and scenery.
Mark McDonough
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Cephalotus

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #115 on: October 05, 2010, 03:43:38 PM »
Here is the rest of the photos promised.

Bielovodska Dolina (Valley) in Slovakia - I took whole day track to the Slovakian site to find one very rare species that I knew was growing in Poland, but I didn't know where. As the climbing started after quite boring 2 hours of ver fast march, the trip turned into very nice discovery. I wished to go to the Polish Hight Tatras, but with thunders hitting the peaks all around and heavy raining I decided not to risk my life. :D










The whether was like in kaleidoscope. In one moment sunny and beautiful, another scarring with heavy rain and thunders and another moment again sunny and all around for almost the whole day. Thankfully it didn't rain at all that day, so I was totally satisfied from my adventure.








Delphinium oxysepalum - What was really amazing, that in the same time not far away from themselves were flowering totally different species like Pulsatilla alpina and Delphinium, for which flower gap should be at least few months!



Litvorove pleso (The Litvorove Lake) - this track is very sightseeing and very rich in plants, so it is really worth of going there, but you need at least 10 hours to make it.






Pulsatilla alpina in full bloom, I really have no idea how that is possible, but as you can see they are REAL! I wish mine grow and flower like that. :/




Leaving the lake behind




When another one, even more astonishing appeared.






Ranunculus glacialis - I nice surprise, especially that I wasn't going there for him. This one had a nice photo session in case no more were on track... :D Silly ME!


Zamrznute pleso (The Frozen Lake) - forgot to write the name previously, this is the other edge


Even more Ranunculus glacialis














Geum reptans - after flowering it looks even more attractive than I thought. It young seeds group in kind of flame-shape fruit. Great!






Saxifraga bryoides - I recognized it, but unfortunately it wasn't flowering. I found one, unopened flower. This bad saxifraga is a real nightmare to make it flower. I didn't manage to do that yet.


The late from a distance, just after the whether broke down again


Gentiana frigida, some nice floweing plants, much tinier than on Ciemniak in Poland.








Vielicky kotol (kettle)


Dhle pleso (The Long Lake) - near the climax of my trip


Even more


Callianthemum coriandrifolium - This is what it was all about. :D Just enjoy this beauty. The whether was really ugly, it was cloudy and foggy so the white flowers of this plant are over shined.












going back as fast as possible to return for the last bus to Zakopane and than to my accommodation. It would be good to have a car there... (Long Lake again)


Saxifraga oppositifolia - I found better flowering individuals in Polish part, but I was always unable to go and see them in flower, so better that than nothing.


Those photos ware all in about 5 seconds, so it shows how fast the whether can change in the mountains








Again back in Poland Zootoca vivipara - warming up


My attempt to go in the High Tatras


Ruined by that


So I went back, all wet and cold, changed cloths and went to the lower parts nearby say goodbye. Recognize the place?




It was about a week after I came back to this place. I found there previously single plants of Epipactis palustris, but they were still not opened. But another time they were...






And I found a great population...


...hidden even deeper in this heaven.


I went to see Listera cordata in other place and I went back home. Please notice that the seed bags are opened when the flower is still in bloom.


Thank you all for watching. I also have some other nice photos from other Parts from Poland, so I must think where to put them.
Best regards,
Chris Ciesielski
Zary, Poland

My photos: http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/cephalotus/

Armin

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #116 on: October 06, 2010, 09:45:03 PM »
Chris,
thank you for the great images. 8) 8) 8)
Best wishes
Armin

Gail

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #117 on: October 06, 2010, 10:09:42 PM »
Wonderful pictures Chris - thank you so much for taking the time to post them for us.
Gail Harland
Norfolk, England

cohan

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #118 on: October 07, 2010, 02:44:23 AM »
great update! too many special plants to mention favourites!

WimB

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Re: Tatra Mountains
« Reply #119 on: October 08, 2010, 08:58:52 PM »
Chris, wonderful pics of an amazing place and amazing plants and wildlife. Thanks for showing.
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