Hamilton Wetlands and Forest

  June--often described as the beginning of meteorological summer, but the first days of this month have been chilly, and there's been a bit (nowhere near enough) of much-needed rain.   The paths into the Forest and Wetlands were still dry underfoot, but the vegetation looked to have benefitted from the night's drizzle. The salmon berries are starting to show some colour, and huckleberries are taking shape. Near the Marsh, a small patch of twinflowers is coming into bloom... and the spirea, or hardhack, has a few blooms to show. In the Marsh, wrens were vocalising happily.  Two, normally secretive birds, even cooperated with photos. A big garter snake relaxed along the dock. The month is forecast to warm up in the coming weeks.  Hopefully some more rain will nurture the Forest.   

 Robert Burns has always been one of my favourite poets, and one of his poems that is among my favourites included the all-too-often quoted line about "the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley."  This part month decidedly went agley--I did manage visits to the Forest and Estuary, but writing this blog was, alas, not an option.  Even so, it was beautiful and I managed some photos that give the sense of approaching summer.   The path to the Marsh was lined with new flowers. Foamflowers are now abundant, and will continue to bloom into the autumn. The delicate white of thimbleberries herald the emergence of their seedy but tasty fruit. Baldhip roses are in bloom, less fragrant than the other local Nootka rose, but lovely.  It seems as though there are more of them than in earlier years. Summer fungi are emerging.  Many logs host oyster mushrooms. Red alder, common in cleared and sunny areas, have a relatively short lifespan of about sixty years....