Oakland Feather River Camp in May

 Here's the Western Dog Violet, Viola adunca, alluded to in my previous post.  I found just a few near Oakland Camp in a shady spot where I always look for the Mountain Lady Slippers, which have not yet bloomed, and the Spotted Coral Root.  A few days later, hiking in the forest near Meadow Valley, I found hundreds of Dog Violets near the creek in an area probably not often visited.

 Back at Oakland Camp, and many other places around Quincy, the Spreading Phlox, Phlox difusa, are having a great year. Those picturred here are at approximately 3,400' elevation, but I've been finding meadows crowded with them above 5,000 feet on Mt. Hough and other mountains in the area.

 Also at Oakland Camp, the Purple or Heartleaf Milkweed is about to bloom.

 The above butterfly (or possibly a moth) is in a group of many species look-alikes that are always moving too fast for me to identify or get great close-ups.  Still fun to watch as they seek edges of puddles or neighboring damp soil to get a drink.  Many have underwing colors quite different from the top surfaces..

The Spotted Coralroots are out in abundance near the place where I'm on the lookout for Mountain Lady's Slippers.

The Scarlet Fritillary seem to be having a great year.  I've found them in at least a half dozen locations near Quincy.