Hamilton Wetlands and Forest

  A morning that didn't quite go according to our plans.  We had thought to have a comparatively early visit to the Wetlands and Forest, so that we could take part in a butterfly count in French Creek in the afternoon.  Unfortunately, on approaching the HWF, we smelled smoke!  Very alarming, and then we heard nearby sirens.  It didn't seem wise to leave our vehicle and walk into the forest until we knew where the fire was.   So we wound up travelling the highway parallel to Hilliers Road to where several fire trucks were extinguishing a fire in the median and along the highway.  It looked as though a boat that had been towed had lost a wheel and the sparks had started a fire.  Very fortunately, the fire department had intervened quickly and prevented yet another forest fire. This meant, however, that we got a quite late start into the woods.   The forest was quiet, but there always seems to be something of interest to examine. Two Douglas firs had grown up as a pair, or maybe s

  For some years, it has seemed to me that the peak of summer, usually mid-July, is a relatively quiet time for nature.   Perhaps it's a matter of conservation of energy against the heat of the days.  Or perhaps the energy of spring and early summer growth has been largely depleted, and the world is stilled. On our walk this morning, we remarked that birdsong, which had been very evident in past visits, had fallen quiet, both in the forest and in the marsh.  There was an occasional croak from a raven, but little else to be heard.    The drought is, in all likelihood, also a factor.  The woods are tinder dry, and the waters of the marsh are subsiding.   There had been a forecast of a chance of rain, but nothing materialised. Back in the woods, there is evidence of bear activity. This Douglas fir must have had some sort of infestation that weakened it.  It looked to have been pushed over, and the remaining stump and the bark that had been at the base have been scraped and pawed in se

Forest light is a great provider of special effects.  Today it was this elegant fern shadow, as well as the interplay of light, cedar, fern, and huckleberry. The forest was quieter than it has been in past weeks.  Bird life was relatively muted.  The only new creature that we observed was very quiet. Slugs haven't been much in evidence before now, and with the dry weather they're not likely to be so in the future.  Although few people would find a banana slug beautiful, they are part of the biodiversity of this forest, and merit mention. This Douglas fir is host to a variety of fungus and mosses.  Although birds didn't make their presence known this morning, it was apparent that a woodpecker had been busy on this stump. It must have been a home for insects in addition to the moss and a very young huckleberry at its top.   The hardhack that borders the marsh is now in full bloom. Its blossoms, viewed close-up, look almost furry. Arrowsmith is almost completely bare of snow--

  I can't think of a better way to mark the Canada Day weekend than passing time in a wild place.  The Hamilton Wetlands and Forest met the bill perfectly this past Sunday. The foliage is definitely ripening into summer.  Although they're still tart, the salmonberries have lots of colour now. We were delighted to see the young hairy woodpecker drilling for her breakfast.  She's fully fledged, but her feathers still look a bit untidy, after the manner of young birds. She looks to have a taste for bracket fungus. This tree trunk appears to have been explored by a bear in search of grubs.  He doesn't seem to have had an appetite for polypores. I've never understood why, but the sight of a bush full of ripe huckleberries always calls Christmas to my mind. The pathfinder flowers, unusual last week, had become even more exotic. Each of the little black seeds that appeared last week, now looked a bit  like  snowflakes, and the stems show little white growths.   Less unusua