26 August

 Saturday saw us once again in the Hamilton Wetlands and Forest.  It was a somewhat warm day, humid, and smoky.  It's beginning to look increasingly autumnal.   The light in the forest brought foliage into brilliant relief.

The young cascara seedlings have flourished this year.

A nice batch of turkey tail polypores has appeared on this log.

One of the most popular snags for feeding has come down near the path.

We watched this hornets' nest grow to an ominous size throughout the summer.   

There's no photo, but we came through on Sunday to find that it had been broken into and only the top was still suspended.  In hindsight, that bit of destruction, possibly by a woodpecker, was an event better unwitnessed.  The inhabitants almost certainly did not take kindly to having their housing project demolished.   Proximity to angry hornets is just not a desirable situation.

The marsh is now mostly golden, and the hardhack and willow along its margins are drying.

There is still water in the marsh, but the level is definitely sinking.

There are beginning to be sizeable open patches of mud,

which had drawn a cabbage white to it, possibly in search of moisture.

A spectacularly green stink bug waved its antennae at us, as it sat on a post.

The bullfrogs continue to monitor our visits closely.

Alas, they're growing and soon will be of a size that they can eat all the other amphibian residents.  It is very unfortunate that they were ever introduced to this area.  Sometimes I wonder if they've somehow learned of my plan to start a frog-leg take-away stand at the trailhead. 

Despite the dry season, the forest remains lush and beautiful.

We look forward to rain.