November 29th. Still water at the marsh this morning. High winds and heavy rain by tomorrow afternoon.

 

Basal rosette of Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) overwinters and forms a bloom stalk in its second year.

 

I believe the furry leaves trap frost and preserve the green leaf tissues below.

 

An early afternoon walk starting from the Brownstone Bridge on River Road.

 

 

 

 

 

On the far side, mosses and Liverwort (Marchantia sp.) grow on the wet abutment surfaces.

 

Lichens too.

 

Heading back up through the bridge...

 

 

 

...and turning around for one more look down through.

 

Pleased to see the trail map at the parking area in good shape after...ten years? The photos are mine; the sign designed by Barry Ford for DEEP.

 

Nice to see some green ferns up on the trail.

 

Now on the trail, looking east with River road on the left and the Brownstone Bridge right in front of me.

 

Approaching the Blackledge River Bridge.

 

 

 

Roughly 100 yards east of the bridge, on the left just off the trail, is a nice patch of Pink Earth Lichen (Dibaeis baeomyces).

 

 

 

Reindeer "Moss" Lichen (Cladonia rangiferina).

 

Back on the trail, heading west now across the Blackledge River Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop, the pond on Beaver Brook east of River Road.

 

Nice to see Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) still there (or back after the ice melted).

 

A bunch of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) there too.

 

 

 

This goose seems to have a wounded beak.

 

 

 

Another goose dozing.

 

A female Mallard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 30th. I heard gunshots as I started to walk in from Route 85 to the marsh, so opted to avoild the duck hunters and visit Grayville Falls.

 

Good water flow, but nothing like what it will be after an inch or more of rain later today.