Crows were heard, as well as a white throated sparrow. Wildflowers in bloom included meadowsweet, steeplebush and flat-topped white aster. Red squirrels were the only mammals that I saw active. Blueberries were almost completely grazed, and the purplish color and seeds were evident in the scat of local small mammals, such as raccoons. Where the berries remained it was obvious that they were in the late fruiting stage, appearing to have reached this about two weeks early this year.
Blackberries are in the early ripe fruit stage.
Bunchberries have their clusters of orange-red berries. Junipers are now covered with unripe green berries. Sheep laurel now have clusters of tiny green fruits. I had never noticed this before, my mindset about berries and the contrast with the general sparseness of the mountain growth brought it to my attention. I never thought of laurel as a fruiting plant, but indeed they are.