First Day of Summer

On a visit to the Wilderness Centre today, the clouds lifted enough for a great view of Mt. Albert Edward and Mt. Regan, a picturesque backdrop for the new building.

Flowers already blooming in Paradise Meadows include western bog-laurel (Kalmia microphylla) , swamp lantern (Lysichiton americanum) and marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala).

Olive-sided flycatchers were singing around the parking area, and in the meadows we heard hermit thrush, varied thrush, nuthatches, ruby-crowned kinglet, juncos, and chickadees.

The boardwalk is clear in the open areas, but in the woods it is still covered with a fair amount of snow, which hopefully will be gone by July 3 when the Centre opens for the summer.

A unique fungus (Gelatinodiscus flavidus) that grows only on yellow cedar twigs emerging from snow melt, was a preview of what you might see on the first nature walk on July 4 : 'Lichen It!'