30 June

 As has been the case in the past weeks, the Forest was initially dark and damp.  In the past week, a mat of speedwell had spread itself at the entrance.

Although Pojar & Mackinnon offer a variety of explanations for the plant's name, anything that spreads as quickly as this can certainly be named "speedwell."  Unfortunately, on reading it up, I've learned that it is indeed yet another invasive making its way into the otherwise pristine woodlands.  No doubt we have a project ahead of us next weekend.  Although it is rather pretty, anything that can proliferate as fast as this must be removed.  

The cloud cover that had greeted us began to break up, highlighting patches of forest.

Close inspection of this photo shows huckleberries beginning to take on colour.  

Again, the effects of light were striking.

An excursion into the side path showed a patch of deer fern, uncommon in this forest.

Last year, I was interested to note that it appeared as though cat-tail moss only grew on cedar, and not on fir trees.  Now I realise that cat-tail moss varies in colour, and that although I still don't see it on fir trees, it can be found on hemlock 

and Sitka spruce.

The oyster mushrooms that are making their way up an alder snag are attracting slugs.

I guess we could call this a sluggish tree...

A few berries are forming on the cascara.

The first flowers are blooming on the pathfinders:

We watched as these tiny flowers developed into odd and distinctive seed pods last season.  We look forward to watching their development again.

Last week, I commented that the bedstraw flowers were uncommon.  This week, I see that I was hasty in my conclusion.

As they mature, the saplings generating from a fallen log that we have found hard to identify look as though they may be osoberry.  Continued observations as the season progresses should clarify their identity.

The Marsh was relatively quiet, with lush vegetation, but few birds.

A big water strider patrolled the water beside the dock, along with the small back swimmers.

Somehow, there weren't any red-winged blackbirds to be heard this morning, but there were four common yellowthroats flitting about in the hardhack.

They were distant, but unmistakeable.  

By the end of our visit, the sun had emerged, and the Forest was bright.

As ever, we left grateful for the beauty and abundance of the Forest and Wetlands, and looking forward to the coming week's findings.