Hamilton Wetlands and Forest

 Robert Burns has always been one of my favourite poets, and one of his poems that is among my favourites included the all-too-often quoted line about "the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley."  This part month decidedly went agley--I did manage visits to the Forest and Estuary, but writing this blog was, alas, not an option.  Even so, it was beautiful and I managed some photos that give the sense of approaching summer.   The path to the Marsh was lined with new flowers. Foamflowers are now abundant, and will continue to bloom into the autumn. The delicate white of thimbleberries herald the emergence of their seedy but tasty fruit. Baldhip roses are in bloom, less fragrant than the other local Nootka rose, but lovely.  It seems as though there are more of them than in earlier years. Summer fungi are emerging.  Many logs host oyster mushrooms. Red alder, common in cleared and sunny areas, have a relatively short lifespan of about sixty years....

  The initial intent of this blog was to track seasonal change in the Forest and Wetlands, and the changes are now evident and happening quickly.  They make for wonderful observation. An increasing growth of summer fungi are emerging.  This log hosts an abundance of oyster mushrooms. With the emergence of fungi, the Forest's slug population is appearing.  In addition to their role as consumers of rotting debris and dog excreta, slugs have a taste for fungi. The trillia of the Forest are changing from white to a rich purple. This is a fine year for western starflowers. The red elderberries are starting to form. A mystery:  Something appears to be boring into several logs along the path. Small holes and piles of sawdust can be seen, but the perpetrator has yet to appear.  Suggestions from knowledgeable readers would, as always, be gratefully received. The Marsh is now gloriously green.  (A quiz--somewhere in this photo, close inspection will reveal a swa...

  Summer has arrived early at the Hamilton Wetlands and Forest.   This  log has been nurturing this huckleberry growth for some years.  Today the sunlight set the new foliage aglow. A vernal pool beside the path has shrunk substantially this past week.  It looks less like potential habitat for salamanders than it has. Siberian miner's lettuce, or candyflower, is coming into bloom.  Although it initially shows as a white blossom, it takes on a pinkish hue as it matures.   Trillium also starts as a white flower, but then changes to a pinkish-purplish tone.  There is some debate about the reason for this. Some sources state that the flowers change colour after they've been pollinated as a way to enable the plant's development unimpeded by other insect visits.   Unlike bracken fern, sword fern is an evergreen species. New growth still appears annually, initially showing a brilliant green. New fronds expand from a "fiddlehead" (not ...

  A season for returns.  My walking colleague is recovering from some complex surgery and, after long months, is now fit enough to visit the Forest and Wetlands.  It is wonderful to have her sharp observational skills and appreciation of the setting.   The joyful light of spring welcomed us. An abundance of new spring growth is appearing, Dull Oregon grape is coming into bloom, as are clusters of elderberry blossoms. It appeared that a bear had been searching for grubs in the bark of downed logs. Ephemeral ponds protect small amphibians and their larvae from the greedy bullfrogs of the bigger Marsh. They also seem to nurture lady fern--not common in the forest. Trillium and false lily of the valley grow together along the path. The Marsh and its fringe are coming into bloom as well. Buckbean is blossoming--not yet in full bloom, which is a spectacle to anticipate happily--but showing its ornate flowers. Twinberries are starting to blossom along the Marsh edges. ...