Caswell in Winter

Mild morning in a beautiful riparian oak woodland.

By Kirk van Gorkom

February 2^nd, 2020

The forest floor is a green wonderland, a reminder beneath the bare oak trees: spring is coming. In the fog, everything is covered in dew drops.

On the opposite riverbank, a noisy herd of cows splashes and moos in the fog.

A fallen log provides habitat for friendly fungus.

A slug or snail destroyed this poor mushroom and left its trail of slime as evidence.

As the fog burns away, morning sun brightens the park's campground.

River Bend Nature Trail

At the other end of the park, an extensive set of nature trails capture California's central valley as it existed before Spanish colonization began in the 1700s.

Spiderwebs covered in impossibly tiny droplets of dew.

Even mighty oaks eventually fall. A flood eroded the riverbank underneath this one, creating new habitat for migrating salmon and other fish.

Moving quickly along the trails prevents seeing any creatures other than scurrying squirrels and birds, but the flora are happy to sit still for snapshots.

Willow buds, not waiting any longer for spring to arrive

Learn more about Caswell Memorial State Park

Higher-quality versions of these photos and more are available at my photography website: https://photos.vangorkom.org/Adventures/2020/Caswell-in-Winter-February-2020