Shrinking Wetlands

A diminishing
habitat in hot, dry lands...
soon dry and grassy

~ carliewired

It's another warm day with smoky skies in our forecast. I was out the door just after 6. I pushed the garbage bins out to the street for collection and zigzagged around them backing out. It was 16 C with an air quality of 9. (high risk)

I made a right at the bottom of the hill and headed west out past the airport. There's lots of traffic zipping out that way making for the fire lines. I have to be cautious in my little red bomber because I am dwarfed by many of the vehicles on this route now. 

I made a U-turn at Tranquille Farms and pulled over to look into the wetlands. This big pond started as flooded fields during high water in the spring. The Thompson River overflows into this delta area every year and its waters fill up the pasture land making a haven for waterfowl. As we move into the heat of summer, the water levels go down and the wetlands shrink back to fields again. 

This morning there was a gathering of herons sitting along the north rim of the pond. I was wondering what they were finding for food as I'm sure there is no direct channels to the river now. The bird population has dimished as the wetlands have shrunk. Next year it will all play out again. 

The sun was red this morning, casting a peachy glow. The smoke arranges the landscape in colourful layers of light. 

The weather forecast promises a high of 34 C with smoke.