20 July

 A morning visit to the Forest and Wetlands during the peak of summer.   The past week saw record-breaking heat throughout the Province, and weather warnings for the east coast of Vancouver Island (that would be right here).

The Forest certainly is showing the effects of drought and heat.


I'd ventured a guess that our mystery saplings might have been osoberry, and had thought to monitor their maturation.  Alas, they appear to have perished from the heat and drought.


Even the pathfinder is drying out.


The foamflower, which had been abundant this season, is now thinning out and fading.


The huckleberry seedlings are holding their own, nurtured by moss and stumps.


Presumably the moss helps retain moisture.

The woodpecker stump has finally succumbed, after the better part of a year of gradual pecking.  


We entertain visions of what was probably a pileated woodpecker landing on the stump, pecking, and --"SQUAWK!" the stump falling over as he worked at it.  After all this time it must have come as a shock.

Just for the record, here is a photo of the same stump taken last July.  Woodpeckers can be very effective at stump removal.


The huckleberries are ripening.  They remain tart, but tasty.


The Marsh looks dry, although there are still patches of open water.  We heard many little "eep--splashes" as we walked out on the dock.  Small frogs, but unfortunately probably just small bullfrogs.  One ravenous little frog leapt up repeatedly after the dragonflies hovering above the water.  He made strong efforts, but didn't seem to succeed.  

The bird population seems reduced, as it also is elsewhere in July.  We heard ravens, watched one bald eagle, and an altercation among three of what we think were juvenile raptors.





It wasn't clear whether this was a territorial dispute, or play among young birds.

The sun was hot on the dock.  We left after sitting for a while, and made out way back through the Forest.  The light left the foliage and stumps glowing.


There is supposed to be traces of rain in the coming week.  We'll hope for the best.

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