23 July

 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 started out as one and divided.  It was a good chance to observe the way in which trees will grow to protect themselves.  There's a sizeable, mossy outgrowth, maybe six feet high, joining the two trees.

There is also the strange scarring on one Douglas fir nearer the marsh.

This is an old photo from the end of June.

Closer investigation (with the zoom on my camera) shows definite charring and sap running--as a self-healing measure?

The abundance of mosses and fungi are sometimes mistaken for indicators of ill-health in a forest.  The vitality of Hamilton's Forest and Wetlands is, in fact, demonstrated by the amount of growth that the trees nurture.  

The cat-tail mosses seem to prefer cedar trees as hosts.  

Even the dead snags of trees support a variety of growth.

This dead alder shows at least two types of moss, a fungus that I've yet to identify (suggestions, please?), spider habitation, and evidence of woodpecker drilling.  Biodiversity!

A muddy spot that had nurtured skunk cabbage now has a stand of young nettles.

Somehow, I'd assumed that the thimbleberries wouldn't be good to eat-

the ones I'd sampled elsewhere have been quite tasteless.  Although the ones growing here are very seedy (a thimbleberry trait), they're as flavourful as many raspberries.

The oregon grape is ripening, as well.

Both fruit could make good jam.  I've yet to try.

The woodpeckers continue their excavations.  This stump, topped with moss, looks a bit like it should have a teeny gnome peeking out of the hole.

The marsh was quiet today.

The water level indicator shows a drop of about a foot from last week.

Although the water level has dropped, and the reeds and other vegetation are looking very dry, there is still standing water.

It isn't likely that the water in the marsh is going to be replenished by snowmelt from Arrowsmith any time soon.

A flight of about twenty killdeer sped past, too quick and too distant for a photo, but identifiable and striking.  

The "piñata" that we recorded last week has grown.

We have yet to investigate it closely, for some reason.

It was a comparatively short visit, but not without interest.  We'll hope that next week isn't delayed by the risk of fire.