The Indian Pipe wildflower is a perennial that grows to about 7 inches and is a translucent “ghostly” white, sometimes pale pinkish-white and commonly has black flecks. The leaves are scale-like and flecked with black on the flower stalk . The stem bears a single 3/4″ flower. It gets its nourishment from decayed organic matter and turns black when picked.
I had never seen an Indian Pipe before so it was a big treat to find so many of them in my woodsy yard.
Have you ever seen one? It does look like an Indian smoking pipe, don’t you think?
I took this photograph at Hemenway Landing is Eastham on Cape Cod. I had no idea what kind of seagull it was. I got home and looked and looked but came up with nothing.
So, I went to see Mike, the owner of The Bird Watcher’s General Store in Orleans, and after researching it himself concluded that it was a Laughing Gull molting its feathers. Thanks goodness that Mike is around when we get really stuck!
It just looked so weird to me, almost as if it someone had put a seagull costume on it. It just didn’t look like the body fit its head.
I love to park at Fort Hill in Eastham and then hike down to Hemenway Landing which is right on Nauset Marsh on the National Seashore. There is always something interesting to see along Nauset Marsh whether it be a bird, a butterfly, a boat, kayakers or just the gorgeous views.
I took this photograph in both a horizontal and a vertical layout. Which one do you like better?
This must be one huge bird that left its tracks in the sand at Boat Meadow on Cape Cod! That is my foot print next to the bird’s tracks and my foot is pretty big.
In doing some research it must be a big Great Blue Heron as their tracks usually range from 6-8.” They just looked huge walking along the sand. Very cool!
This was a great view of a Painted Lady butterfly at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. There are so many different species there which you can see in the gardens by the Visitor’s Center or out on the trails.
I loved this photograph as it is feeding on a Butterfly Plant in the garden. You can see some of its bright orange and black coloring as well as its camouflage coloring when its wings are closed.
Love its little face! What do you think?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
