Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 4th July.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we drove down the Davie Bay Rd as far as Eagle Creek, then turned left and parked just after the old sand pit.  From there we had welcome shade right from the start and it was pleasant and rather surprising after a long spell of hot dry weather to be walking on short green grass. The old logging road climbs quite steeply for a while and only eases off after it passes a small swamp on the right. Reaching Thompson Road at a T junction we turned right and headed south, still in the forest shade, but now on a quite level stretch of road.  Our lunch spot destination was to be Balanced Rock Lake and this is at the end of narrow winding rather overgrown trail that climbs steadily from the end of a short spur road on the left of the main road. 

It was great to find an adult Nighthawk on the ground in the very same area where we have seen this species nesting in the past. We were careful about not stepping on the eggs which are laid on the bare ground where there are small patches of open forest, but saw no eggs or young this year. 

JD.

Hiking in the cool dappled shade along the northern part of Thompson Road.       Stu Broderick photo.