Alpine Walks in Valais

[cohan]

The grass is growing by the day in the meadows and in between the stalks a myriad of wild flowers jewels. It great to just amble along and watch the butterflies and insects floating over them.  They are in such a hurry to find the latest nectar that they are here and there and gone before I've had time to focus.

great stuff! love the violas, the geranium, and all the rest lovely setting...where were you before you moved there, in a city, or in the country as well?

[Lvandelft]

Exceptional timing, Luit ... you beat me by less than a minute!   

Cliff, it would have been 5 minutes, if I did remember all the plants I wanted to comment.
But now I had to go back from reply to the page several times.  Ooooh, my brains...

Robin, maybe you could make lists in the text too??
I use ACDSee for this and am really satisfied by this.

[Eric Locke]

Lovely Robin.

More please.

Eric

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great pictures Robin !
You sure give us the "Mountain" feeling - even down here in the flat lands.... 
Thanks for posting !

[Ragged Robin]

Great pictures Robin !
You sure give us the "Mountain" feeling - even down here in the flat lands.... 
Thanks for posting !

I'm glad to bring the mountains to the flat lands, Luc, and glad you are enjoying the atmosphere.  I really enjoy the ventures from the flat lands stretching to the horizon with bulb fields too and the park displays of tulips in Spring are just amazing. 

I think it was you who posted something about visiting the narcissus fields near Montreux some years ago ?  I am going there in the hope a visual feast sometime within the next week.  It only lasts a month from May 7th - June 7th so I'm lucky to be here and will take photos, of course 

[Ragged Robin]

Exceptional timing, Luit ... you beat me by less than a minute!   

Cliff, it would have been 5 minutes, if I did remember all the plants I wanted to comment.
But now I had to go back from reply to the page several times.  Ooooh, my brains...

Robin, maybe you could make lists in the text too??
I use ACDSee for this and am really satisfied by this.

Luit, sorry to give you a headache trying to comment on my miss-ID's.      I shall put a list of plant names at the head of my postings in future but don't know of ACDsee - will look it up on the web.....by the way can you tell me which Viola it was that I posted as V.biflora?

[Lvandelft]

Luit, sorry to give you a headache trying to comment on my miss-ID's.      I shall put a list of plant names at the head of my postings in future but don't know of ACDsee - will look it up on the web.....by the way can you tell me which Viola it was that I posted as V.biflora?

That is great Robin! No headache but everytime going back, I first copy what I wrote before. Just afraid pushing the wrong button
and start all over again when back to "reply" 
ACDSee is a program which is free when acquiring a HPscanner etc. But its very good. I know of more Forumists who use it.

The Viola might be just some Viola arvensis, but there are some specialists in the Forum, like Gerd who will know this for sure.

[Paul T]

ACDSee is free on the Net too, or it used to be anyway.  I have a copy of it.

[Gerdk]

The Viola might be just some Viola arvensis, but there are some specialists in the Forum, like Gerd who will know this for sure.

If you like, you can call it Viola tricolor. If you turn to subspecies level it will be ssp. saxatilis or ssp. subalpina.

Gerd

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Luit and Gerd - all ID's tied up then 

[Ragged Robin]

Half way up between the gorges and the top of the waterfall is a an incredible feature of engineering in the shape of an enormous man-made spillway of rocks; not for water but to hold back a possible avalanche in the winter that would obliterate the village below. Lupins have made it their summer home all along the ridge enjoying the views in all directions.

[Ragged Robin]

Walking down into the forest the trees close in around you and wild laburnum displays panicles of yellow flowers lighting up the shadows

[ranunculus]

Lovely images, Robin.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Cliff - it is amazing the different atmospheres that the forest presents as the year unfolds

[Ragged Robin]

Below on the forest floor stands of ferns look up and reach for the dappled sun that filters through.  Small ferns sit on top of a rock or spread wide enjoying the damp leaf litter - evidence of new growth is everywhere......