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Common Hawthorn – Crataegus Monogyna
Commonly known as the mayblossom or maythorn, the blooms on the hawthorn tree signal spring in the Northern Hemisphere. They were all around me in the delightful Buttertubs Marsh Park in the middle of Nanaimo, BC.
It was an unseasonably cold, wet spring this year in Nanaimo on Canada’s Vancouver Island.
I was experiencing cabin-fever after being trapped too long in a too-small-space by the inclement weather. It was time to ignore the forecast and get out for a walk! According to GoogleMaps and AllTrails, a park I was looking at was closed on Sundays; it wasn’t, but how was I to know?
Instead, I made my way to Buttertubs Marsh Park, a nearby bird and wildlife sanctuary. I’d walked there before, and remembered the two kilometre (1.2 m) loop trail around the marsh as being flat and well surfaced – so even if the skies opened up, the walking would be easy and relatively dry underfoot.
According to a signboard in the park, wetlands account for less than 7% of British Columbia’s land mass (according to current official government statistics (see: Wetlands in BC), this is now down to 5%), which is what makes this area so important. In 1975, the Nature Trust of British Columbia bought 46 acres (18.7 hectares) of the 100-acre (40 hectare) marsh and formed the Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area. Over 120 species of birds – some rare or endangered – have been spotted in the marsh, and western painted turtles nest in one little corner.
Of course, the turtles remained completely hidden, and the birds were elusive to me. Still, for the most part the rains abated, and it was a most enjoyable stroll.
I’ve posted autumn pictures from other local parks taken on a long-ago trip (see: Walks in the Woods), but not from this one – so I’ve included some of those old shots here for seasonal comparison.
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Walkway around Buttertubs Marsh
The 2 km walking path was as beautifully groomed as I remembered.
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Mayflowers
Everywhere I look, the very pretty common hawthorn was in bloom. Spring has finally arrived!
Haws
The last time I was here it was fall: many of the hawthorn leaves had succumbed to frosts and the pectin-rich berries, or haws, were in fine form.
Yellow Flag Iris – Iris Pseudacorus
Yellow flag iris were scattered all through the marsh waters. If they were already as prolific during my last visit, they weren’t in bloom, and so were less noticeable.
Yellow Flag Iris in Bloom
As beautiful as they are, they are considered an invasive species.
Standing Tall
The name flag iris comes from the middle English word flagge, meaning rush or reed. Unlike other irises, they love boggy ponds, swamps, and waterways, and can outcompete against other wetland plants. To make matters worse, the beautiful plants are irritating to the touch, and toxic to wildlife if ingested.
Development at the Boundaries
Competition for land also comes from development, especially around the edges of the lake, and the Nature Trust is trying to buy up privately owned land. (iPhone12Pro)
The Marsh
All the caveats aside, the view through the native Garry oaks and across the irises, bulrushes, and the lake, is beautifully calming.
Garry Oak Leaves
Garry oaks are the only native oak species in Western Canada.
Garry Oak – Quercus Garryana
They are considered endangered, with many of the remaining trees on private lands which are slated for development.
Autumn Leaves
Of course, these deciduous broad-leaved trees lose their leaves in autumn: leaves were underfoot everywhere when we last visited.
Common Snowberry – Symphoricarpos Albus
Snowberries are attractive – but inedible. Part of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), the berries have been crushed and rubbed on the skin by various Native American tribes to treat burns, warts, rashes, and sores.
Autumn Snowberries
What surprises me is that this picture, taken in October, looks fresher than the one taken in May. Clearly, the berries have a long season.
Across the Wetlands
Housing and industry might push at the edges of the preserve, but I feel like I am miles away.
Golden Shower Tree – Cassia Fistula
Another beautiful invader, the Indian laburnum puts on a beautiful spring display. I know it a Thailand’s national flower, the ratchaphruek (ราชพฤกษ์).
Across the Marsh
From another direction, views over the marsh lead the eyes to the distant, still-snow-capped, mountains in the west.
Duck on the Waters
Several species of ducks make their homes here – they are all too far away for me to identiful properly.
Ducks in the Reeds
Or, they hide in the reeds where I can’t get a clear view.
Canada Geese – Branta Canadensis
The last time I visited, the waters were full of Canada geese – which are much easier to identify!
Nanaimo and the Hills Behind
Red-Winged Blackbird in the Bulrushes
The air is full of beautiful, trilling song as the red-winged blackbirds mark their territory in the cattails (Typha latifolia) and watch for insects.
Red-Winged Blackbird – Agelaius Phoeniceus
I found another one, high in the trees nearby, …
“Little Brown Bird”
… and I think this might be his mate?
A Quiet Moment
The park is well used, and people were out walking or running – or just sitting.
Textured Tree Trunk along the Path
I think this is red alder – but I’m happy to be corrected by someone who actually knows!
Flat Path
The path winds through the spring greens of the deciduous trees; …
Bigleaf Maple – Acer Macrophyllum
… … their leaves turning gold and red in autumn.
Archimedes Screw
Around 234 BC, Archimedes described one of the earliest hydraulic machines to raise water – although the system is thought to have existed long before his time. When this area was still private farmlands, this rusty antique example was pulled by a tractor to draw winter waters off the marsh to allow for earlier spring planting.
It is only a short circuit – which is why some of the walkers and runners I passed actually did more than one lap – but it was a delightful break from the city and the rain.
And, it is always good to know these inner-city preserves are being guarded into the future.
Happy Walking!
Pictures: 29May2022 and 23October2010
