Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: ranunculus on August 07, 2008, 09:22:24 AM
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Well folks,
It’s that time of year I’m afraid, when images of the Italian Dolomites flood your screens again and you are forced to don shades to ward off the effects of white rock blindness!
The Bookers are back from their annual stint leading wildflower walks for Collett’s Mountain Holidays (see http://www.colletts.co.uk/) and now two thousand four hundred plus images must be whittled down to a manageable number, a tiny proportion of which will be posted on this wonderful forum over the days and weeks to come.
Our two and a half weeks in these magnificent mountains encompassed the weather of four seasons, the floral might of an entire summer and the unending beauty of these majestic peaks.
We enjoyed snow, hail, thunderstorms, freezing winds, absolute calm and (predominantly) glorious sunshine on our daily treks and Collett’s guests were thrilled by the range and proliferation of flowers to be seen.
We were based, as usual, in Arabba (on the Pordoi Pass), but our walks and excursions took us out to the Marmolada glacier; to Selva Val Gardena; to Vallonga,; along the famous Bindelweig; out to Falzarego, Cinque Torre and Valparola,; through the meadows and screes of Santa Croce; and even through the forests and valleys of Col di Lana and Campitello.
We estimated that the flowers were approximately two (to even three) weeks late in comparison to our previous July visits, due (we imagine), to heavier more prolonged snow cover and a very wet and cold spring.
Anyway, enough of the blabbering, on to the pictures … as usual, there is a complete lack of organisation … they are not, unfortunately, in numerical, alphabetical or chronological order … they are as they come (including the occasional duplicate - of subject matter, but not (hopefully) the actual image)
Many are titled correctly, some are titled in true Booker fashion (does ‘scatterbrain’ translate into most forum languages?) and some may even be wrong (titling is the bane of my hobby and I tire of finding new short descriptions for each shot … you can only use ’Potentilla nitida rubra - Cinque Torre’ once in 2400 titles).
I hope you enjoy these images and are tempted to visit (or revisit) these wonderful mountains yourselves.
Armeria
Arabba view
Anemone scene
Adenostyles
Aconitum napellus
Aster alpinus
Baby bird : see possible ID on page three by Diane Clement
Butterfly
Campanula duo
Cerastium
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Batch Two from the Dolomites...
Butterfly 2
Campanula
Chough
Chough and gentian
Cinque Torre in mist
Cirsium
Clematis alpina
Climbers
Cushion scene
Desirable location
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Batch Three from the Dolomites...
Dolomite fungi
Close-up valerian
Close-up
Chough 2
Campanula duo 2.
Butterfly 3.
Excellent gentian.
Flower meadow
From Sella top
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Batch Four from the Dolomites...
Dolomite fungi 2
From Sella top 2
Gentian nivalis and euphrasia
Gentian scene
Gentiana close-up
Geranium scene
Hedysarum
Large potentillas
Lilium martagon
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Fifth (and final batch for today) from the Dolomites...
Lilium martagon 2
Linaria alpina
Massed orchids
Massed orchids 2
Massed orchids 3
Mountain lake
Orchid extravaganza
Orchid duo.
Adorable puppy that nearly consumed the photographer
Photographer being consumed alive
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Thanks for nice and interesting photos. :)
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Blast it! I knew I had forgotten something.... when I saw Cliff and Sue were back home I should have remembered to buy more sunscreen..... I have a very fair skin, you know ::)
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You've done it again Cliff !
Wonderful photography as usual ! :o
Looking forward to 2000 more... ;D
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Superb Cliff! Words aren't sufficient :)
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Many thanks for the very kind comments folks.
I took two cameras to the mountains and this second posting comprises some of the images captured on the 3.4 megapixel Nikon 995.
(I still prefer this lovely little camera for macro and depth of field shots).
Across the valley
Arenaria ridge
Beautiful dark Dianthus superbus
Approaching storm
Beautiful gentian
Beautiful Papaver rhaeticum
Black rampion
Butterfly
Campanula 2
Campanula barbata going to seed close-up
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Batch Two with the Nikon 995..
Campanula very close
Cushion
Dark and light Prunella grandiflora
Dolomite fungi
Dianthus close-up
Dolomite fungi 3
Falzarego.
Fragile Papaver rhaeticum
Gentiana punctata in front of Marmolada 2
Gentianella close-up
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Excellent pics, as usual! But there is one thing I missed: Where is the barrel with rum which these Bernhardiner dogs usually wear? It seems the puppy is looking for it ;)
Gerd
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I think the puppy had the alcohol prior to consuming the photographer ... a canine aperitif?
Batch Three with Nikon 995 ...
Gentian from side
Gentian and silene
Massed silenes 2
Moth on rampion 2
Nigritella rubra
Nigritella rubra close-up
Orchid close-up
Parnassia palustris
Pedicularis view
Phyteumas 2
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Gerd, of course the puppy is far too young to have brandy barrel!! ;D
Cliff, may I just point out to you that without the pic f names in the text the search engine will not pick up on anything..... :-X
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My apologies Maggi ... I now realise why the missing names have suddenly appeared in so many of my previous postings.
Just another task performed by our incredible administrators.
Is there any way to make this fact known to all future posters (or have I missed the relevant instructions in my haste to post)?
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Cliff, the search engine's need to have names in text has been reiterated many times in many threads ::)
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Oh dear ... I've been Maggied!
Off to bed with a flea in my ear...
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Sleep well ,Cliff :-*
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Ah yes, Cliff,
I could force myself to spend some time there. Considering the effects of last year's postings from Wengen I should perhaps begin to brush up on my Italian for next year.
Money could be saved by renting that very des res shown earlier. Any contact details?
And those Dolomitic fungi - obviously some have infected you as you are so in love with the location.
Mary and I were there two years ago and the most lasting impression which remains with me is the sheer glare of the rock higher up the mountains. It is an amazingly bright grey which reflects the sun blindlingly. I recognise some of the scenes in your photographs.
As ever, a brilliant set of photographs and I am sure more will come and look forward eagerly to them.
Paddy
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Another marvellous topic, with stunning pictures. Love the puppy (isn't it brandy? not rum?), love the plants and love the birds and fungi, especially that white one oozing blood! :o
Puppy must have found the body a bit hard going since Cliff is back safe and sound. :)
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Were you as surprised as I to see the blood-ooozing fungus, Lesley? I'd have thought that was endemic to Transylvania ::)
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Yes, I did have a look in case Dracula was lurking somewhere in the background of the pics.
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Good morning all,
Many thanks again for the lovely comments ... I was shocked to see the 'bleeding-fungi' as well - only 5ctms across, but it shone like a beacon from the shade of the Col di Lana forest floor.
A few more from the Nikon 995 now...
Saxifraga oppositifolia
Thymus cushion
Crevice phyteuma
Gentianella close-up
Dolomite fungi
Papaver rhaeticum
Slightly blurred but totally gorgeous little poppy
Rosa montana (canina?)
Potentilla nitida rubra
Grasshopper on achillea
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Wow, Cliff!! Perfect photos as always (and before you point out the out of focus poppy.... only the flower was blurry, the leaves and the facets in the face of the rock were absolutely perfect, so it still qualified), and of a perfect place by the look of it. The bleeding fungus was pretty wierd wasn't it, and the Rampions (something I haven't heard of before) look rather interesting, as do the orchids, the scenery, the list goes on. All beautiful. Thanks so much for posting the pics. 8)
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Cliff I hope I am not sounding as a "besserwisser" (Do You have that one in English we do have that one in Swedish even if it is German?) but might the Nigritella rubra be a N. nigra? I have only seen both on pictures so I am only curious. The N. nigra seems to have this darker colour and the N. rubra slightly lighter and with a pinkish tin to it. In Butler there is some photos where the colour variation of N. nigra is seen.
The orchid below is an Epipactis but You might have known that already. It looks like E. helleborine. (Possibly E. palustris if that one can have red lip.)
Great pictures of all the plants.
Kind regards
Joakim
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Cliff - I love your photos, reminds me that it's now two years ago since I was there last time!!
Joakim, Besserwisser could be translated as:
wiseacre
fault-finder
smart alec
wisenheimer If I can trust my translating programm
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I don't think Cliff would call you a 'smart alec' - just a keen observer :) I had spotted that one too! Maybe it is nigra or rubra depending on whether the wine tonight is Rose or Red? What say you Cliff? ;)
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Hi Joakim,
We saw both Nigritella rubra and N. nigra on our walks and also many examples that were midway in colour between the two ... the scent was usually quite distinct though and we tended to christen by scent. A pale nigra could easily be mistaken for a dark rubra. Many thanks for your input and for introducing me to that wonderful word; 'bessenwisser'.
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Another batch of images...this time from the Nikon D80...
Lovely (and quite unusual) white Campanula barbata
Over Corvara
Orobanche caryophyllacea
Orchid landscape one (Gymnadenia)
Orchid landscape two (Gymnadenia)
Roof and rock - on Pordoi Pass
Sassongher
Sella scene
Sella cushion
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Cliff
Wonderful pictures - hope there are many more to come.
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Wonderful pictures, I am happy to see such wonderful plants. Thanks
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Many thanks Art and Franz,
Delighted that you are enjoying the photographs.
A few more on this very wet and dismal Saturday evening....
Isolated campanula bloom
Butterfly
Small blue
Campanula on extremely dark stormy day
Orchid duo
Orchid colony
Scene with grasses
Sun through grasses
Aconitum napellus
Phyteuma colony
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Keep them coming Cliff
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a thoroughly enjoyable trip with you, Cliff.
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Last pic is fascinating, and the rest are brilliant. Seeing your pics always reminds me I must get a better camera. ::) Excellent pics as always Mr Booker!! 8)
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Many thanks Kristl, Art and Paul,
Another batch or two ... mainly scenery this time...
Arenaria cushion
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Next batch from the Dolomites....
Dryas octopetala seeds
Eriophorum angustifolium
Gentian and silene
Gymnadenia
Mass of Campanula barbata
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Third batch from the Dolomites...
Pedicularis and campanula
Plantago major
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Fourth batch from the Dolomites...
Silene acaulis
Gentian
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Another great batch Cliff. You and Tony would make a good team, maybe add Hubi too? ;D
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Cliff,
thank you for this great picture tour. Don't hesitate to show us more ;)
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Cliff thanks for the information about the rubra nigra.
Great picture I have been just scimming them will enjoythem thoroghly later.
Thomas I think besserwisser could also be translated as "Mr know-it-all".
And old joke is two people start a discussion and one says to the other one "You are such a Messerschmitt" and the other says "besserwisser You mean?"
The first one says "see there You go again"
That is a joke in Swedish with the two words "besserwisser" and Messerschitt in them. It must be more than 30 years old so we have had that word for some time.
All the best and I hope there will be more (pictures) to enjoy. Maybe more (nigra/rubra please) even if the scent does not come through well.
Kind regards
Joakim
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Cliff
Wonderful shots that truly convey the magnificence of the mountains. Hope there are lots more.
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Thanks again Arthur ... so glad that you are enjoying the images...
As a matter of interest can anyone identify the baby bird pictured on page one of this topic? The parent resembled a black robin and the nest was constructed in the eaves of our hotel. This little fledgling left the nest only hours prior to the photograph being taken. The baby then got itself trapped in some plastic mesh that was holding up foliage in the hotel grounds, but we watched as it escaped and saw it happily reunited with the parent bird.
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As a matter of interest can anyone identify the baby bird pictured on page one of this topic? The parent resembled a black robin and the nest was constructed in the eaves of our hotel.
Sounds like a Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) which are commonly seen round the hotels and nest in the eaves.
Super pictures, as always, Mr R
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Wow Cliff, that is some scenery!! The Cinque Torre looks amazing, and some of the scenery looking down from the mountain tops... :o Wow!!!
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More glorious shots Cliff ! :o
Some 1500 more to go I guess ??? ;D
Don't let us stop you... 8)
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Many thanks for the identification Diane ... I'm pretty sure you are right (yet again).
...And thanks to Luc, Diane and Paul for some more nice comments...
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Cliff,
Dropped in to catch your updates - brilliant, really enjoyed them.
Paddy
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Great stuff Mr. B and up to your usual high standard.