Mer Bleue Boardwalk is a 1.2km mainly boardwalk trail through a bog in Ottawa. The bog is quite unique in terms of its vegetation. I visited it hoping that the Tamarack trees would have turned their beautiful gold fall colour. They hadn't, although they were starting to. When I looked back at previous pictures I realized I was 3-4 weeks early.....
Nov 9, 2021 vs Oct 12, 2023
A few individual trees, or branches were definitely changing, but not many.
The maples, poplars etc had certainly changed
As had the sumach trees
I didn't expect to see the beaver swimming in its channel as it was mid-morning - and I didn't...
I found only one mushroom along the boardwalk, but there was a good amount of wet moss.
A few other sightings along the boardwalk (scroll over for ID)
Tamarack branch
Spider web
"WItches broom"
"WItches broom"
Baltimore oriole nest
Labrador tea
Labrador tea
Labrador tea
Cotton grass
Lichen
Tamarack tree trunk
Dead tree
At the end of the boardwalk, you can follow the main trail, or climb a hill and take much less used pathway
It is used much less now as many trees were knocked over and blocked the trail during May's 2021 derecho windstorm. Not being an official trail, the trees have not been cleared.
A freshly dug animal burrow was close to the trail. It was too big for a chipmunk, too small for a groundhog, so whose it is I was not sure.
The milkweed pods were staring to burst, some of the seeds were bedraggled after recent rains, while others popped out after the rains.
Sumach blossoms had gone to seed
A lone aster still had a few blossoms, some maple keys were ready to fall and be ready to start new trees next spring
Fungus was doing well on the fallen poplar trees
And small fungus/mushrooms were growing as well
Wild turkeys were in several spots, around the feeder at the parking lot, along the road to the parking lot, along the road to the parking lot, and in the bush. There seemed to be a small group of three males and a group of 8-10 which I assume were the grown up poults born in the spring.
Blue Jays, white crowned sparrows and other small birds are always looking for handouts
