Summer is definitely here, and that affects our activities.

Sole Survivors went high to avoid the heat, doing a 12 km trip at Big White, enjoying great numbers of wildflowers. Ramblers went less high but chose to hike in the trees, visiting Angel Springs. The Thursday birders also went for the trees, hiking Mission Creek from Casorso Road to Gordon Drive and back again, being rewarded with a Lesser Yellowlegs and numerous warblers and flycatchers.

The Sole Survivors cycling trip on Friday was cancelled due to the smoke from the various wildfires burning in the Okanagan Valley. We’re particularly concerned by the Goode’s Creek and Mount Aeneas wildfires as they are burning in areas CONC likes to hike.

The bluebird trail monitoring is winding down. Most of the boxes are empty or unused although one has young Tree Swallows in it, probably a second family. We didn’t have any bluebird families this year but we did have many Tree Swallows and House Wrens.

But winter must be on the way. We saw a cross-country skier poling along the road!