Wildschonau, Austria

[David Nicholson]

David,
Good pair of Yorkie legs there Mick
The legs happen to be from Nottingham David. Just been weathered in yorkshire for 30 years. Came as a missionary to educate northern hill tribes and stayed.

Never mind Mick I wont hold not having 'the birthright' against you. At least you are from North of Watford! Get those pictures flowing.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Daughters gone off to Barnsley for a few hours so managed to get on and resize some more pictures, only took 400+ in a week, don't worry I wont post them all.
Day three Tuesday, low cloud in the valley but clear at the top of Markbachjoch ski lift. Thought we would just have a stroll around the top then go back down on the lift. Three hours later we had walked back down to the village of Niederau.
1 Contented cow above the clouds.
2 Campanula not sure if it's different from earlier one?
3 is this the same Potentilla from earlier?
4 Close up
5 Euphrasia alpina (from Franz earlier identification) close up
6??
7 Even though it hadn't rained the three days we had been there, this shows the leaves retention of morning moisture.
8??
9 Daisy?
10 blackened fungi

[Mick McLoughlin]

A few more as we continued our walk downhill. Hurts the legs just as much walking down as up, but easier on the lungs.
1-4 Not much idea of ID
5 Clover.
6 Blue butterfly
7,8 ??
9
Strange shaped tree stump reminded me of an elephants head.

[Mick McLoughlin]

As we made our way down 'more flowers' as Melanie would say. Who has just returned from Barnsley and tried to entice me away from the computer by telling me Gardeners World is on.
Finish this batch with a white thistle and an orange Fungus.

[ranunculus]

You are most welcome Mick...please try to convince your daughter that she will have much more fun on the ultra hip SRGC (do they still say 'ultra hip' or has it joined groovy, 'bad', fab and cool in the sad bag)?  I'm still trying to come to terms with garage, urban and grime....what if one actually owns a grimy urban garage?

As far as books are concerned Mick, many travellers take the Chris Grey-Wilson/Marjorie Blamey classic; 'The Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe'...an illustrated guide that uses wonderful little ....illustrations.
I do use it abroad, but I must admit I much prefer photographs.
I now carry a superb book by Oskar Angerer and Thomas Muer (published by Ulmer Naturfuhrer) called Alpenpflanzen (there is a clue somewhere that this is a German book without subtitles....but more of this later). It contains 815 excellent photos of the most oft seen plants and is light enough to tote in a rucksack and interesting enough to mull over in the lounge with your lager and fellow guests (when they query what the little plant was that they saw as they descended the scree on their posteriors).  As to the language difficulties, the plants are all identified by their Latin names and basically that is all you will need (Google to your heart's content when you return to the U.K. or in your hotel in the evening and you will obtain all the information or any confirmations that you might need).
Should your wallet be wide and expansive then please do be tempted by the MAGNIFICENT 'Flora Helvetica', a weighty tactile tome that will occupy many a winter's evening (with a port and two mince pies)....but DO NOT be tempted to take this one in your rucksack...it should have been published by Double Hernia instead of Haupt....it is though, quite simply, a wonderful volume of over 3760 superb photographs that covers the complete flora of Switzerland and, by coincidence (?), a great proportion of the alpine plants that one is likely to encounter in the rest of the Alps.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Last few for tonight as we made it back to the bottom of the valley for tea and home made cakes at the hotel. They look after you in Austria Maggi, Austrians are very partial to cakes sorry no pictures though.
First a pair of leaf beetles are they Chrysomelidae Anthony?
Finishing off with a Scabious?
Must go now the Hemsworth teenage grapevine is buzzing calling for Melmo.

[ranunculus]

Markt 16 is Parnassia palustris
Markt 26 looks like an Adenostyles
Markt 27 is Lycopodium clavatum

Have to go out now Mick, but will give you some more names later if Franz (or another willing volunteer ) hasn't taken over for me....

[Mick McLoughlin]

This report seems to be taking ages to do, hope you aren't all getting bored.
Wednesday and we had decided to book a trip to Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain and largest glacier. McLoughlin luck strikes again and the weather turns foul, raining hard and steady.
When we got to the top it severely restricted photo oportunities especially of plants, but I still had a go wonders of digital photography.
3 & 4 near the visitors centre found a bank of these in bud. I tried to get a good close up, but this was the best I could do.
5 & 6 two not very distinct plants blame it on the lack of oxygen at 3,000 mtrs.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Last couple of dripping plants before leaving the glacier(gross10.jpg) behind.
Treacherous journey of 32 hairpin bends on the trip.
As we continued our descent we got a glimpse of the top of the mountain, guess what it had decided to clear up. Until when we reached Zell-em-see, for a coffee stop, it was fine and sunny shirt sleeve weather.
Yes Maggi the coffee stop did include cream cake.

[Maggi Young]

Melanie out this evening, eh, Mick?
Glad to see you displaying the true SRGC spirit... photos whatever the weather.... and aren't they nicely atmospheric? 
Coffee break, Austrian cream cake... bliss!