I was quite unlucky with weather during the bloom of these beautiful wild tulips in steppes this year. It was plain and boring from sunrise to sunset. At times very windy. When it was calm I was improvising with macro-photography. I hope that these pictures at least partially will show you how beautiful are the colors of spring steppes.
"In mid-spring, tulips (Tulipa shrenkii, T. biebersteiniana) bloom red across the low green hills of the Manych Valley. In fact, the tulips that are grown in Holland today and popular around the world originated from the Manych Valley. The first flowers first traveled to Turkey in the 17th century, where they earned the name of the Turkish tulip, then went on to conquer Europe and the world. Yet, the Shrenk’s tulip is highly endangered in its place of origin.
Tulips flower on a green backdrop of fescue (Festuca valesiaca) and feathergrass (Stipa lessingiana, S. capillata, S. ucrainica, S. pulcherima) steppe communities, which make up the majority of the plant cover in the zapovednik. Islands are covered with tall grasses and flowers with purple, pink, yellow, white, and red blossoms. Hair-like feathergrass (Agropyron pectinatum), sea lavender (Limonium sareptanum), and sagebrush (Artemisia austriaca) are common in valley steppe habitats, while low shrubs (Kochia prostrata, Artemesia lerchiana, A. pauciflora, A. santonica) are found in drier areas. Austrian flax (Linum austriacum) is common in areas. Patches of desert are found in places that were subject to overgrazing or other human impacts.
Two species of feathergrass (Stipa zalesskii, S. ucrainica), Shrenk’s tulip, and meadow saffron (Colchicum laetum) are some of the endangered plants in the reserve listed in the Russian Red Book. In all, there are 384 species of vascular plants in the zapovednik, representing 54 families. "
"In mid-spring, tulips (Tulipa shrenkii, T. biebersteiniana) bloom red across the low green hills of the Manych Valley. In fact, the tulips that are grown in Holland today and popular around the world originated from the Manych Valley. The first flowers first traveled to Turkey in the 17th century, where they earned the name of the Turkish tulip, then went on to conquer Europe and the world. Yet, the Shrenk’s tulip is highly endangered in its place of origin.
Tulips flower on a green backdrop of fescue (Festuca valesiaca) and feathergrass (Stipa lessingiana, S. capillata, S. ucrainica, S. pulcherima) steppe communities, which make up the majority of the plant cover in the zapovednik. Islands are covered with tall grasses and flowers with purple, pink, yellow, white, and red blossoms. Hair-like feathergrass (Agropyron pectinatum), sea lavender (Limonium sareptanum), and sagebrush (Artemisia austriaca) are common in valley steppe habitats, while low shrubs (Kochia prostrata, Artemesia lerchiana, A. pauciflora, A. santonica) are found in drier areas. Austrian flax (Linum austriacum) is common in areas. Patches of desert are found in places that were subject to overgrazing or other human impacts.
Two species of feathergrass (Stipa zalesskii, S. ucrainica), Shrenk’s tulip, and meadow saffron (Colchicum laetum) are some of the endangered plants in the reserve listed in the Russian Red Book. In all, there are 384 species of vascular plants in the zapovednik, representing 54 families. "
There is a small island on Lake Manych-Gudilo that is within Chernye Zemli Nature Reserve in the south of Russia. It is home to wild tulips and wild horses. I have spend several days in the end of April watching those horses and I can tell you wild horses behave very different from domesticated ones...
Original story can be found here: http://shpilenok.livejournal.com/182339.html
Read more about these protected steppes here: http://www.wild-russia.org/bioregion3/Rostovsky/3_rostov.htm
I spend the night of April 22nd on the banks of the Manych. I woke up to the sound of rain and someone signing deeply woke me up. The camels on the photo above were the ones signing. They come from a farm that I photographed below.
All along my way I see spring blossoms. The fruit trees in bloom make me happy when I see them in the villages I pass by.
The first environment-oriented tulip festival in Kalmykia (Russia).
Yesterday morning was cold, windy and uncomfortable. The sun only appeared for a minute at the sunrise and hid in the clouds for the rest of the morning. I was crawling between the tulips in the morning frost, looking for inspiring view, but all in vain. Cold and tired I was going back to my home on wheels...
And as I reached it I found a surprise!
Kalmykian steppe.
Steppes are open, there is no shelter for a human or animal. It is a not an easy place to live. At nights it's freezing cold, and during the day, the heat of sun is interlaced with cold winds.
Above is a photo of local shepherd. Below is this morning view, full of tulips.
Two villages are so different, but still in one country.
Sunrise in Voronezhskiy Nature Reserve.
Early morning in high spring waters at Voronezhskiy Nature Reserve (Воронежский Заповедник). The snow is gone, fresh air is filled with birds' love songs... First spring flowers are covering the forest floor... Wonderful and happy morning for me...
First two days I was mostly driving; landscapes are passing by my windshield. Sometimes, the view outside catches my eyes, and I have to stop my truck to take a picture. Like this village in Bryansk Region called Krasnyi Kolodets (Красный Колодец - Red Well in Russian)...
Since my childhood I had a dream to travel across Russia recording the beauty of wild nature... Today I am starting a journey of my dreams. It is planned to take 3 years for me to go in this car above from Western border of Russia to far East, all the way to Kamchatka and back. The photo above is taken by my brother, Nikolay Shpilenok. I am leaving my home Nature Reserve - Bryansky Forest.
At first I will be heading south to catch wild tulips blooming. Blossom of millions of wild tulips in steppes is one of the most spectacular nature event I have ever seen. I plan to participate in First Tulip Festival in Kalmykia, organized by nature activists. It will take place from 20th to 30th of April and everyone is welcome to join!Read more about this event here: http://wildlifetravel.livejournal.com/18950.html
Comments
Post a Comment