6 September

 Another drought-stricken week. The forecast is for rain this coming week.  We can but hope.

Meanwhile:

The bracken fern is dying back, 


Mosses are drying and cedar is definitely showing heat stress.


Despite dry weather autumn fungi are appearing.

Oyster mushrooms sprout despite the dryness of this snag.


We're not certain what this fungus is:


This is a species of crustose fungi that grows on wood.  Our mushroom expert wasn't certain which one.  It's a curious looking thing, in any case.  Try enlarging the photo to see the detail.



I think this is an example of what I described as a "poached egg" fungus last year.  


It could be a young red-belted conk, although last year's "poached egg" never turned dark, as red-belted conks do.  

.....



The water level in the Marsh continues to sink.  


Evidenced by the gauges, but this visit we noticed a disturbing confirmation:


Two of the posts securing the dock fit tight against its boards.  The sinking water level has scraped the inside of those posts. The result is a planed-off area about a foot in length, which tells us that the water level has sunk by at least a foot.  

The amount of open water has shrunk further, concentrating the available space for frog occupancy.


The extent of mud has, inevitably, expanded.


We watched an interesting confrontation in the sky.


The identity of the smallish raptor wasn't evident until I enlarged a photo.


Sure enough, a female merlin, obviously very cross with the much bigger raven.  

As we left the dock, the bloom of a last spirea of the season glowed in the sunlight.


We made our way back to the parking lot, hoping that we'll see a rainy forest next weekend.



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