21 October
Our visit to the Hamilton Wetlands and Forest followed on two days of atmospheric river--record-breaking rainfall along coastal British Columbia and unseasonably mild temperatures. The Monday following the weekend's dramatic weather was quite pleasant, but the effects of the disruption were apparent. The huckleberry are still fruiting, while the bracken fern is now dying back, producing a striking backdrop for the berry bushes. The autumn foliage gleamed in the morning light. After the days of heavy rain, we agreed to give the loop path (often very boggy) a miss. The wild weather had brought down a tree that had been a favoured nest site for a red-breasted sapsucker. Here's the tree, inhabited two years ago: The warm, wet weather had brought up an abundance of fungi. Reviewing Mackinnon and Luther's Mushrooms of British Columbia , these jelly fungus appear to be what are called "spirit gummy bears." I'd known of LBBs --"Little Brown Birds," f...