5 August

 

As always, the forest welcomed us with its diversity of life, and with the play of light within it.  We had hoped to see the beginning of a shift toward autumn, with more bird species appearing.  That hasn't happened yet, apart from what I'd take to be a hatch of juvenile chickadees busily exploring the bushes.   

The moss radiates the summer light.

The first mushroom we've seen this season.  Here's hoping it's a harbinger of autumn.

The Oregon grape is ripening and abundant.

The forest is looking dry.  The leaves on this huckleberry bush are turning yellow--very early for the season.

Bird activity continues.  A woodpecker has begun work on a new hole in this snag.  It looks like the work of a pileated woodpecker.  We've yet to see one, here, but there's plenty of evidence of their activities.

Above the marsh, Mount Arrowsmith continues to shed its snowpack.

The reeds and sedges in the marsh are turning golden, and the hardhack and willow around its edges are drying.

The water level continues to drop.

The peat and clay beneath the marsh's waters are emerging.

The marsh still holds water, both at its surface and as a sponge.

It continues to provide habitat for an abundance of frogs.  (If anyone knows the collective noun for frogs, we'd love to know.  A ribbit, perhaps?)  

There were also many dragonflies, but they seemed turbocharged, and photos were a real challenge.

We left the marsh, as always, content with our visit, and expecting to see more changes in coming weeks.