24 March

 Setting out this morning in dense fog along the shore, I’d expected limited visibility in the Forest and Wetlands.   To my delight, the fog had cleared inland, illuminating the cat-tail moss festooned on the trees and revealing a gloriously sunny forest.

The path shows signs of spring. 

Although new growth remains limited, buds and leaves are increasingly evident each week.  This huckleberry is definitely showing vigorous growth.

Less lovely (at least to most of us), this slug should still be welcomed as the first of the season.

The first salmonberry blossom has appeared.

In the wetter patches of the forest, skunk cabbage is sprouting.

I chanced to meet the very fine nature photographer, Deb Freeman, on the trail.  She greeted me happily with, "I've got something for you!" and she most certainly did have something wonderful:

She had taken several photos of a Virginia rail in the Marsh, an uncommon, elusive, even secretive bird, very infrequently reported in the area.  I'm very grateful for her generosity in sharing her photo--in my regular visits to the Marsh, I've yet to see or hear one of these shy creatures. 

One of the mysteries of the Forest and Wetlands concerns the identity of the people who maintain the paths and the dock. Popular mythology refers to “Forest Gnomes," who work anonymously and seemingly invisibly.  Trees fallen across the path are sawed into manageable lengths and cleared, sometimes to the sides of the path, sometimes to places unknown.  Dense foliage that grows over the paths at times is cleared.  The last section of the dock, which disappeared for some weeks, has reappeared,  repaired and happily much less wobbly that it has been.   The bench has been returned and is very welcome.

I couldn’t explore all of it, but it appeared that two lengths of path, which presumably join up with a route in from the road, have been reopened.  

Much of it was sufficiently flooded that I didn’t care to explore without at least gumboots, but it is an interesting and promising area, with some patches of distinctive vegetation.  

There were hemlocks, not in big numbers, but taller, and more abundant than on the main path.

The forest has a rich assortment of mosses, as has been evident on the main path.   I’m not certain whether new species were evident, or whether they were merely new growth patterns.

Once again, in the Marsh, the frog population was in exuberant spring voice.  

The water level in the Marsh is high. 

A snow-decked MountArrowsmith was reflected in the still waters.

A small flock of mallards flew towards the southeast end of the marsh,

where they landed and joined a pair of buffleheads.   (The buffleheads aren't very visible, but close inspection will reveal them.)

 

After spending time quietly enjoying the restored bench, I headed back to the parking area.  We can look forward to the advance of the season in coming weeks.