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5 January

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  A gloriously sunny day in the Wetlands and Forest.  Despite bright sunlight it started out quite frosty, but the sun dispersed the cold and by the time we reached the Marsh, sitting in the sun on the dock was very pleasant. The change in the Forest from the darkness of past weeks to today's sun was striking. It has been a relatively mild season--the huckleberry is already starting to show its distinctive pink growth buds. The snow of last week has left the path, but the downed logs were still present.  They are, however, easier to navigate without snow. One of the downed trees is presenting an assortment of moss and lichens. I'm fairly sure (expert readers, please correct me) that the white scaly things are cladonia.  Not the lipstick cladonia, but possibly dragon cladonia, so-called because, as do dragons, it has scales.  The streams and ephemeral ponds in the Forest are filling and running vigorously. By the time we reached the Marsh, the frost at its south ...
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27 December

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  The east coast of central Vancouver Island rarely experiences heavy snowfall.  That has been particularly true this season, although  an accumulation is now building on Mount Arrowsmith and the Beaufort Range.   The coastal towns of Parksville and Qualicum Beach have received what the Weather Office now calls "wintry mix,"  unpleasant combinations of rain and ice, but there have been minimal accumulations of snow.   As the land rises in from the coast, there have been minor accumulations.  Hamilton Wetlands and Forest is 88m above sea level-- sufficiently high to have received a bit of snow in the past days.    Bundled up against the chilly weather, we made our way to the path through the forest.  The downed logs across the path remain, now coated with snow. I have legs that have left me wondering whether there might be Corgis in my ancestry.  Stepping over snow-coated logs becomes --um--well, perhaps I can just say that...
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21 December

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  A Solstice visit to the Hamilton Forest and Wetlands on a day that mixed rain and sunlight, and the consequences of strong winds on the preceding days.   The path to the dock was somewhat boggy at first.  A young couple we met commented that there were some slippery trees ahead.  Initially we thought this was not a major issue--the exposed roots and planks are often slippery when wet, but navigable with caution. The ponds and streams in the Forest were filled, and flowing. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ut7U5sht-yk Then we found what the pair were talking about! There had been a major blowdown. The path definitely required bushwhacking, clambering and, at one point, crawling. A very old snag, which had hosted a fascinating array of fungi,  as seen in this photo from last year, had come down and was virtually shattered. We persevered, and made our way to the Marsh. Despite the blue sky, it was raining heavily on the dock.  It's the first time in three yea...
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13 December

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  Another dark morning in the Forest and Wetlands, with mist softening the immediate distance. Initially, rain was promised, then materialised.  It's interesting to realise that despite dark days, there is abundant new growth in the Forest.  Fungi proliferates, as does a wealth of biodiversity on snags. This is a very productive alder snag, with slender carbon antlers, moss, and a commodious spiderweb.   Oregon beaked moss proliferates on the forest floor. Recent winds have brought trees down. Rain has nurtured the numerous small pools and streams within the forest. It remains, if wet, unseasonably mild, and the garter snake that we found unusual last week was still keeping watch beside the path. He's definitely slow-moving, but managed to make his way back into the salal.   The water level in the Marsh continues to rise. Small flocks of ducks gathered at the southeast end of the Marsh.  At the most distant point, very vocal mallards and bufflehea...
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29 November, 6 December

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  Two dark mornings in the Forest and Wetlands.  We're definitely approaching the Solstice, and looking forward to  lengthening days. The small streams and ephemeral ponds have been recharged by recent rainfall. As we approached on the morning of the 6th, we came on two young men with VERY sophisticated camera equipment.  They explained that they were investigating the springtail population, and showed us their miniscule quarries.   They have some really interesting material on iNaturalist, with amazingly clear photos of very tiny critters.   https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&user_id=doviende&verifiable=any Fungi, possibly late in their emergence, are showing along the path. The variously named "spirit gummy bear" or "cat's tongue fungus" is abundant on logs along the path. A mystery organism (possibly a symbiosis?) emerges from a downed snag along the path. Snags and downed logs are nurturing little saprophytes. Yester...
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