25 August

 It was a pleasantly cool day to visit the Wetlands and Forest.  The woods are not yet fully recovered from the summer's drought, but they are looking fresher.


Although some mosses still look very dry, fresh growth is increasing, along with fungi and slime molds.



Witches' butter and staghorn jelly fungus have appeared.



Tiny fungi (still to be identified) emerge from the moss.


As we studied the fungi, a new (to us) western hemlock appeared just off the path.


The water level in the Marsh is up slightly after the past week's rain.

There is definitely more open water visible.


We heard frogs, but none were visible, and the dragonfly population appears to be dwindling.

The Marsh's fringes looked refreshed by the rain.


The toxic water hemlock (no relation to the conifer in the forest) is bearing seeds.


As we left the Forest, we could see that the woodpecker persists in sculpting his stump.


And a red squirrel had made a substantial meal from a fir cone, but hadn't tidied up afterward.


We shall see more of autumn's progress in the Forest and Wetlands next week.



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