20 December

 A visit to the Forest and Wetlands on a dark day at the end of the year.  

Even in the winter's darkness the forest remains beautiful and somehow, magical. 

Mosses luxuriate.

The small patch below shows at least six distinct species of vegetation.

The shrinking woodpecker stump (stump is shrinking--woodpeckers remain pretty much of a size...) has shrunk further.  Perhaps we should start taking wagers about when it disintegrates entirely.

The path that branches to the left of the main entrance looked more open today.  Perhaps someone has been clearing it.  

It always looks to be wetter than the main path--today there was a stand of deer fern, which we've never seen on the main route.

It's quite like sword fern, except that the leaflets join the main stem directly,  without any connecting stem.  

Back on the main path, a natural arrangement of maple leaves and moss. 

The water level in the marsh has risen further.

Mt. Arrowsmith was hidden in cloud,

but the clouds provided their own spectacle.

The increased water level is apparently attracting waterfowl.

A flock of six swans at the southeast end of the marsh drew our attention, 

but we almost overlooked the ring-necked ducks near them.

Buffleheads seem to have established themselves.

Mallards were active and the females were very vocal.

They've now found a patch of open water at the northwest end of the marsh.

Perhaps the swans wearied of our observation--they took flight to the west.

At a guess, they're still part of a bigger flock by the Happy Cow Farm.

Here's hoping for one more visit to the Forest and Wetlands to close out the year.