Hamilton Wetlands and Forest

This is not the first time that I've described the Wetlands and Forest as unceasingly beautiful and fascinating, but it outdid itself yesterday morning.   We had finally had a bit of rain (more has fallen since), and the forest smelled fresh rather than smoky.  As is to be expected at September's end,  the foliage is thinning.    Another tree, a victim of the drought,  had fallen near the path. A variety of fungi have emerged despite the dry summer.  A close look at a fallen log revealed this conk. Some little button mushrooms appeared beside the path. I can't explain the bluish tinge on one of them.  (I suspect it's a camera artifact.) By next week, it's likely they'll all be open and bigger, like these. Like those on avian turkeys, these fungal turkey tails flourish. Woodpeckers remain active.  This stump shows a variety of drilling.  It would be interesting to know the purpose of the larger, longer hole.  It seems small for ...

A warm Saturday morning in the Forest and Wetlands.   It's still alarmingly dry.  Trees are plainly suffering, the cedars most of all.   Still,  it appears that the forest's proximity to the moisture held by the marsh is somewhat protective.   There are fungi appearing despite the dryness.  The turkey tails appeared a couple of weeks ago, and are growing steadily.  Mosses and ferns appear a bit dry, but persist. This spherical growth of moss  looked deceptively like a gall, uncommon on Douglas fir.   The stump shows that the woodpecker(s?) continue their search for insects.  We wonder if there will be any of it left by the end of the season.  The hornets are still working at their reconstruction task.  The water level in the marsh continues to decline, but still has surface water and boggy peat. From aerial photos of past summers, the south end of the marsh keeps open water.  Flocks of geese headed towa...

  Summer is clinging to the Wetlands and Forest.   It doesn't feel as hot, but everything shows the effect of prolonged drought. No doubt, one day Mount Arrowsmith will again have a mantle of snow, but for now, it's a rocky massif. The forest is affected.   Trees are falling despite the absence of wind. This alder was been broken off, apparently for some years, and abundant new growth has emerged from the top of the breach. The foliage is changing to autumn colours, although it's not clear whether from drought stress or seasonal change. Mosses continue to flourish. Viewed from an angle, this log and moss growth looks a bit like a Muppet, green shaggy hair and a slack jaw.  (I wonder if Jim Henson walked in forests for inspiration?) The banana slug continues to take its time crossing the path... ...and a meadowhawk rests on this sword fern. The very determined bald-faced hornets continue their construction project. At the time of this photo, their nest was about ...

  A warm, hazy morning in the Wetlands and Forest, as is evident from this view of Arrowsmith.  The drought persists.  It is taking its toll on the vegetation,  particularly the red cedars. Despite the dry season, fungi are beginning to show.  The stump we've been monitoring as a prime target for woodpeckers now has a new adornment. Mosses continue to flourish. A small banana slug appeared undisturbed by the dryness. I've been observing fallen trees as they break down.  Some display what Terry Taylor, Parksville's botanical wizard, identifies as "brown cubical rot." At a stage in its decomposition, a fallen tree loses its cellulose to decay, but the reddish cubical bits that remain, called "lignin," sometimes resist decay for centuries.   As I reported last week, the "piñata," a bald-faced hornets' nest, was demolished, apparently by a woodpecker (or woodpeckers) in search of grubs.  We were surprised and impressed to find that it is being ...