Fifth day I decided to go searching for a very tiny and rare orchid, Listera cordata. Of course I had planned whole trip day earlier. I went through Chochołowka Valley in about 90% of its length and I haven't found this species. I was looking very carefully for this plant whole 9 km without success... You will know more after watching photos.
Onobrychis montana - we started with finding this parasite. In the mountains most of them are still preparing to flower. Before making this photo I tried to make one of a fly looking like a bumble-bee. It was in white, yellow and black stripes. I have never seen anything like it before. Sorry, I cannot show it to you.
Vanessa cardui - this year we have a "plague" of this butterfly. In past years when I found one or two it was something fantastic, it was so rare in Poland. I do not know why, but this year is is the most common butterfly I see. I do not complain. I like it very much!
Lilium martagon - with those photograps is related funny history. I was making photos of this species. A group of tourists with a guide was nearby. The guide asked me if though I know what I am photographing. I answered (in polish of course): "Yes, Lilium martagon." The guide made a surprised face.
Probably the very first tourist who he met that know what is photographing... After that the guide asked his group: "Does anyone know what is this species?" Some tourist answered: "Lilium...." They heard when I was saying the species, but they couldn't remember the hard thing. In polish it is: Lilia złotogłów (in loose translation: gold-head). Than the guide asked his group again: "Can I pick the flower?" No one answered, so he did: "Of course not. It is protected by the law, because it grows in a National Park. But outside the National Park..."; "... you also cannot pick it.", I added. He made more surprised face and said: "You can." I said: "Fortunately, you cannot, because it is protected species". Guide opposed: " No it isn't". Than I: "Unfortunately, it is and even strictly protected, so one one can." The guide felt endangered by me and resigned: "I will not bet on that, because I do not like to loose.", and run away with his group as fast as he could.
That was terrible, what knowledge guides share with tourists. If I weren't there, he would have allowed a quite large group of people to pick a protected species outside a National Park...
Spring and beginning of a stream
Aconitum firmum - an old friend, still growing in the water. Amazing.
A bug.
I am sorry, I didn't have enough time to identify this one. It was lying eggs. Some tourists were afraid of it very much, because of its "sting". But it is not a sting, it is used to lay eggs not to protection. There is also one that is fake, just to scare animals, and those less informed people. ;-)
Usnea sp. - hard to identify. I haven't got sure which one it is. It is the tiniest one, not those big, and easy to see. This lichen grows only in pure, crystal clear places, where is non chemicals are any pollution. It is the most sensitive of all lichen. That proves that this place is probably intact by pollution.
Some sight around Trzydniowiański Peak.
Hard name, even in Polish. ;-)
On the peak
Wile going down - it is almost impossible, but there were hardly no flowers. This parts of Tatra Mountains are acid, there is no lime in the soil. It is amazing how those two conditions make the environment almost deserted by flowers. I have found 7 Campanula alpina. What is that in compare to hundreds, which I passed wile going on Ciemniak? But the sight were fantastic. The same mountains, but I felt like in totally different place.
Heliosperma quadridentatum
Shoe of the Mountain Spirit - nature do not like emptiness. Every place, every thing is covered by it, even artificial, lost things.
Lichen on the trees
Stream
Place where Pope Jan Paul II have been
Listera cordata - when we were going back, when I was sure we will not find anything. I have accidentally found this species 3 meter from the place when we took a different track.
Amazing. If only I made few steps forward earlier, I would have found it than. It is very, very tiny orchid. I thought it to be about twice as big. The plants had about 4 cm in hight and their leafs were smaller than my finger nails.
Try to find it... There are probably four or five on the photo
The place it grew
Lactarius deliciosus - as the Latin name says, this mushroom is delicious.
Fried on on butter on pan. Mmmm.
Of course when found at my forest, not in National Park.
Avalanche
Like that we ended day five. The last day I firstly planned to relax a bit, lay off. Than I decided to make some better photos of Chamorchis alpina so we went to its habitat on the track to Ciemniak.
Gladiolus imbricatus - I saw this meadow wile driving bus to our accommodation. I could not let myself not to make a photo of a whole meadow of this species. ;-)
Nymphalidae sp. - this species is very hard to identify. I am not a specialist, so I do not know exactly which one it was.
Epilobium angustifolium - I like this plant, especially on landscape photos.
Gymnadenia conopsea forma alba
Landscape
This photo is artificially made with assistance of my cousin. She borrowed her feet. I decided to make one like that to show how many mountains plants end. Under someone's shoe. When I was making photos standing carefully on rocks, and not on the plants, a curious lady came to see what I was photographing. She didn't stepped on rock, no, she walked through plants... That was pitiful view... I didn't say anything, because I knew, that there might be wore effect, and she might pick a flower to show me that I do nothing about it. That is sad, but that hos the reality looks like.
That was I was talking about earlier. A bit of lime in the soil, alkaline pH, and there you see the difference.
Oxytropis carpatica - Some more photos
Chamorchis alpina - finally some really good photos for you. I wanted to make better ones. So rare orchid deserve for a perfect photo.
For good buy with the mountains, landscapes
On the end of trip, sheep and their gourds.
Learning, learning... ;-)
Goodbye to Tatras
I hope you enjoyed. Because half of the pleasure of such a trip is possibility to share with it with others.
Cheers,
Chris
