Seeds Everywhere

With the weather so fine for walks (-3 or -4 C and clear) in the woods or up some of the snowed in roads, that's what we did today.  In addition to many animal tracks we observed a few bald eagles perched in trees with the bloody remains of a coho salmon on the snow below the perch. I think we are getting near the last of the 2009 coho run, so the eagles are making the best of the situation.

After so many days of wind, dry and no new snow, the seed dispersal mechanisms of the larger trees are in full swing.  Everywhere you look the Red Alder, Douglas Fir and Paper Birch tree seeds have blown and collected in low spots.  This nice little collection of seeds and seed bracts was in the foot depression of very old Grizzly Bear tracks in the snow.  I think whatever seeds don't get eaten or blown further afield into some unfriendly environment will have a good chance at starting in the spring when it comes. 

It dropped to -6 C tonight and still no wind, although  Cathedral Point down in Burke Channel has been pretty steady on the outflow wind at 50 km/h and some gusts to 60 km/h. Grizzly