29 November, 6 December

 Two dark mornings in the Forest and Wetlands.  We're definitely approaching the Solstice, and looking forward to  lengthening days.

The small streams and ephemeral ponds have been recharged by recent rainfall.



As we approached on the morning of the 6th, we came on two young men with VERY sophisticated camera equipment.  They explained that they were investigating the springtail population, and showed us their miniscule quarries.   They have some really interesting material on iNaturalist, with amazingly clear photos of very tiny critters.  https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&user_id=doviende&verifiable=any

Fungi, possibly late in their emergence, are showing along the path.


The variously named "spirit gummy bear" or "cat's tongue fungus" is abundant on logs along the path.


A mystery organism (possibly a symbiosis?) emerges from a downed snag along the path.


Snags and downed logs are nurturing little saprophytes.

Yesterday (December 6th), we were surprised to find 2 garter snakes still awake and active near the Marsh.  They were a bit slow, unsurprising in cold-blooded types in winter.  I'm surmising that the comparatively warm night before our arrival had led them to emerge from an hibernaculum.


At the end of  November, a ground fog sat on the northwest end of the Marsh.


The waterfowl population is starting to settle in to the southeast, mostly mallards, but there appear to be ring-necked ducks in this photo as well.



The water level continues to rise.


Mount Arrowsmith is now almost certainly robed in snow, but it's also hidden in cloud much of the time...


...it's back there somewhere.

There are always new things to discover on our walks, in this endlessly fascinating area.














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