My Final Observation…The Beginning of a New Journey

5/12/14                64*F                 Light  Showers

"My last trip was truly a beauty. It was my first visit in the rain. It was like an entirely different world"

 It feels so good. Soft to the touch and soft to the smell. Soft to this space. 

It catches the fallen pieces of the forest. It captures the essence of this place. 

The smell represents where we are and all that is good in this world. 

Funny how something so beautiful is found so low to the ground. So near my feet. So near the earth.

It holds the forest floor closely. 

So closely that I would sooner tear a child from her mother than to tear this life from it's source.
(the Moss)

I regard him as an individual

I refuse to lose him to the masses. I refuse to dismiss his dark beauty as common

I celebrate his song. 

I admire his wisdom. He and his ancestors have survived the unspeakable.

Yet still he flies 

He soars in as a warrior for his family. He protects and guides.

  He looks me square in the eye, greets me with a song                                  

 As I encounter my equal, I am humbled.
                                                                                (the American Crow)

As far as we know, this life form

is immortal
(the Douglas fir)

 I have always known  that this is one of the more beautiful places in the world. That sounds good from a distance but it rains too damn much and if you lived here you would feel differently. I don't get to enjoy the beauty because it rains too much! Every trail and natural area is too far for me to travel. The PNW is beautiful but depressing. Today I am just in awe of our particular landscape. The islands, the ocean, the sound, the mountains, the conifers, and the wildlife are so unique and I am so happy to call this region home. I used to believe that we didn't have much wildlife because it rained so much. I know now that we have an abundance of species to explore and it really doesn't even rain that damn much!

 I am becoming intimate with the Madrona Woods. I realized this when I brought my partner to the site and noticed a different yet powerful connection with my site that I didn't have with my intimate partner. I feel welcomed back by nature each time I walk in. I feel a part of the earth as I observe the changes over time. I have come to know nature as an open door friend. It didn't matter how I was feeling throughout this project. Some days I would slowly enter wide eyed and excited to be there. Some days I would trudge in just wanting to get it over with. Some days I would be in a hurry because I had other things to do and places to be. The welcome was always the same and the ease that would come over me as I became more and more immersed in the greenery was the same. The peace would always flood in at the same time with the same power. I found a love for my natural area that I have experienced before. I loved watching it grow...little by little with each visit. I loved the unexpected...never knowing what I was going to see or do when I arrived. I loved the individual relationship…this was something that was just mine and that I didn't need to share with anyone else. I loved the beauty…the inexplicable beauty. 

Sharing my observation site with my mom

Time For a Change of Geology...

5/31/2014      Eastern Slope of the Cascades     73*F +       Partly Cloudy

Caterpillars almost ready to take on the world

Our trip began just across the Yakima river. After coming from Seattle, it was almost felt like we were in a whole different state or part of country. The impact of the cascades on the climate was made very clear on this day! Everything was dry and tan. The sun was unforgiving and there was no shade. Typical of the dry climate there were was a lot of dry grass, sage brush and even cacti! Because we were by the river there were plenty of wetland species as well. The area was teaming with black cottonwood and native quaking aspen. It was truly an experience to see so many different species living side by side with one another.

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The little horned lizard I found

Everything about this place was different from the natural history I've come to know in the puget sound region. The plants were different, the invertebrates were different and of course the birds were different. Before going on this field trip I wasn't expecting to see much life because of course when you think desert you think desolate and empty. This was not the case at all. It was different life over here. One of the wonders of the Yakima river area was seeing the quaking aspen in it's native habitat. I learned that the species is a cloning reproducer and seen that there were dozens of smaller trees that were all cluttered around the same area coming from the roots of one older, larger aspen at the center. Much of the organism life in the area was huddled near the river. I got the handy tip of identifying poison oak (which looks very similar to red osier dogwood) at the expense of one of our TA's running through it with shorts. Near the river there were lots of species from the rose family and trees. What I thought was so interesting is that right across the pathway that walked alongside the river there were cacti on the ground. I got one literally stuck in my hand trying to pick it up and get a closer look. It was really in there pretty good. The birds were great as well. when we first pulled in we found a bald eagle circling and shortly after a vulture. The bird sightings in this area were quick and consistent. We got great view of several others through the scope and were allowed to explore. The bridge that crossed the Yakima river was swarming with cliff and barn swallows. This area really helped me to understand the practice of humans and all other living species throughout history to stick close to the water. The life was abundant.

Paintbrush plant utilizes the sagebrushes' water underground

Moving along on our trip we went to the actual dessert. The area was just a few miles outside the town of Ellensberg but it looked like one of the isolated places out of a movie. The plant and species life was much different here. There was no river or any real source of water for miles and everything in the area either preferred it that way or adapted. It was interesting that there were several birds in the flat land but I wasn't able to see any of them. We learned that their call carries long distances when there aren't trees or other barriers to stop it. The plant life wasn't incredibly diverse but it was amazing nonetheless. I appreciated being warned against stepping carelessly on plants as I walked. We learned that the plants that live here have fought hard for their survival and that we needed to be very careful to preserve their lives. All the plants were very low to the ground due to the high winds and the warm temperatures. I think the tallest brush I found was about 3 ft tall at best. The wildflowers of this area were a pleasant surprise. You wouldn't think that you could find so many flowers in such a dry and empty environment, but nature has a way of keeping beauty in all it's corners.

 The wildlife of this area were really cool. Everybody was on the hunt for the horned lizard of the area
 being determined to be the first one to find it. On
 my individual lizard hunt I ran square into a
 scorpion. We have scorpions in Washington!

Second stop!

 It was terrifying but that is what I love about natural history is that you never know what is going to pop out on you. It was pretty awesome actually. I must say…I felt pretty brave.
Our final stop was one of the most interesting geological layouts I've ever seen. We were only about five minutes out of the driest of our stops and we ran into a lush green trail. Walking into the trail I looked to my left and seen all desert and looked to my right and seen a forest filled with wildlife. The class began making their way to see the waterfall but I didn't make it that far. We walked slowly and enjoyed the scenery of birds, plants, insects, and even mammals. As we were walking a we were startled by a very loud rustling in the bushes next to us. It sounded too big to be a squrell and too close to be any other animal. After looking closely through the camouflage of the woods we spotted a huge rabbit. Ok run away rabbit, we've seen you. No it just stopped and looked at us then jumped toward us in an act of intimidation. It worked and we ran away. Definitely a first time experience. We got to spot several new birds and just sit quietly listening to the steam run through the woods. This trip was an awesome experience to see the other side of Washington state's diverse range of climate and organisms. For me it was a lesson in natural history. The diversity is endless. Each landscape has something unique to offer. We always hear the the pacific northwest is the most beautiful place in the world, but I don't think I buy that anymore. The driest desert was absolutely stunning in its own way.

Oh the fungus!

The snags are covered in these

5/26/2014      Mostly Cloudy      63*F     3:00pm 

Flipped cap variation

I'm so excited to have been given a glimpse into the wonderful world of fungus. Mushrooms and lichens line the forest floors of the pacific northwest. I was able to find a few in my observation site, I only wish I was looking harder for fungi when we took our trip to the Olympic Penninsula. The shade, moist areas of the forest floor are the prime locations for mushroom finds. Lichens were much easier to locate but the variation was minimal. I was thinking that it may just be the time of year with the heat and the warmth. Despite my inexperience in locating and identifying fungi, I was able to find 7 species in this small area. I've uploaded all of them to iNaturalist for ID help because as hard as I look at the identification chart I still can't confidently tell what they are. This particular observation really opened my eyes to the difficulty mycologists have in working with such a complex range of species. Not to mention elusive. I looked high and low for the capped mushrooms I was able to locate. I was turning over leaves, searching out shadowed areas, and braving the invertebrates territories in search of mushrooms. The small white caps I found were in plain view. Just a small cluster growing on the side of the walking path. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that their hyphae and mycelium all interconnected and the tree that I found them underneath. This style was the way that I had anticipated my mushroom hunt would go. Just walking and looking should be sufficient. However, I came to find out that this familiar style of mushroom growth is just one of many. The brown mushroom sticking out the side of fallen and live trees was one of the first organisms I found at my site. This particular mushroom sticks out right under where I sit every week for my observations. I was looking forward to seeing its massive gills, but this species has a pours. They are extremely close together too. It almost looked like a solid underneath the cap but under very close inspection you can see small spongey holes throughout. These basidiomycota are a necessary addition to the Madrona Park natural area and can be found if you are willing to do some hunting for them. The ascomycota were more abundant and easier to locate. Several of the young trees were sharing their surfaces with lichen species. Again I was unable to identify the lichens I found off hand but hopefully iNaturalist will help me out with that. It was pretty exciting, however, to find more than one form of lichen. The foliose form was easily found and identifiable because of its very distinct color and look. It was usually only growing on one side of the tree which I thought was interesting and am not sure why that was. The crustose find, however, was a direct result of what I have recently learned about fungi. It reminded me of a big moldy piece of cheese (which I've heard is just fungus too but don't want to get sidetracked). It was fairly large (approx. 3" width) and seemed to be very established. I tried a couple of small scratches to get it off and it was stuck to that tree for life!

Rough and sticky capped

Looks like mold on bread…must be a lichen

The foliose form of lichen seemed to be just laying around on the ground of the walking trail. And as you can see from the picture is actually pretty big by itself. The little that I have learned about fungi has really opened me up to a very camouflaged side of the forest. I have seen lichens countless times throughout my life but never knew that they were separate organisms form the trees they were attached to. I was shocked to learn a little bit about the variety of the mushroom kingdom (don't know if that is a real term but…). It was very inspiring to learn that many mushrooms cannot be cultivated because of their complex connection with the forest. I always love when nature eludes humans with evolutional refusal to be controlled and domesticated.

The Original Reality Drama...Birds

                                     5/19/2014     2:25pm      73*F     Mostly Sunny

Snowberry flowers appear

Red currant losing its red

The fading bleeding hearts

Same angle of observation spot as picture
from week 1 photo!

I am in shock about how much the small forest of Madrona Park has grown! It was so overgrown that it was hard for me to identify many species because they have come to blend together so much. It was like a real forest in comparison to my first week where it looked more like a man made walking trail. It it beautiful to see nature at its fullest. I am guessing but it feels like the plants are reaching their peak for the spring and will stop growing for the summer. I can't imagine where more growth could occur but I do know that nature always finds space. Due to all the increase in size of the various plant species I noticed an increase in competition between species. Even though the sun was shining brightly the entire forest floor was in the shade. The canopies of the trees have widened to catch more sun. The ground species seemed to be climbing over one another to get what little sun did come to the ground. I also noticed the transition in flowers occurring. The red flowering currant that was so bright and one of the first blossoms is now only buds. The bleeding hearts that shown a bright purple are now turing whitish grey. They look like they will soon be gone. The thimble has come in to take their place with white flowers filling the shrub. I was surprised by this process because I've always assumed that flowers all bloom together and retreat together throughout the year. There was a pretty noticeable increase in insect presence. There were several more spider webs than there had been before, more flies buzzing around, and more activity on the forest floor. This weeks trip I was mostly focused on the birds. Because of the rapid overgrowth of my site and the prevalence of very tall trees I was not able to see everything I was hearing. I understand now why semi-open spaces are ideal for bird watching. I couldn't see a thing! My observation spot is pretty much smack dab right in the middle of the Madrona Park forest and surrounded with trees. I had to get far away from my usual observation section to sight any new birds. Walking throughout the trail I spotted several song sparrows and could hear some brewers wrens. When I got up near the houses I heard a back and forth conversation between a chickadee and another unknown bird. I witnessed a spotted towhee being very territorial over a tree and a telephone pole. He was calling at me to get away when I walked up to observe but wouldn't go far from his territory when I began pushing his comfort zones. I have a history of seeing several stellar jays and bushtits at my observation site but I didn't get to see any this time.

The lady ferns that were unrolling in weeks 1 and 2!

I walked up to the residential area of the Madrona neighborhood determined to get a look at the elusive eagle's nest I've been working next to since my first week. I was finally able to spot it. I didn't have the best view but I finally seen the nest and what looked like one very big eaglet. As I watched I heard an increase in activity from the crows. There were abnormally loud today with constant squawking from beginning to end of my observation. As I was looking at the nest I seen the mother swoop in and take perch in the tree. Shortly after the comedy began. A single crow was not happy that the adult eagle was perched on the edge of a branch in the tree with her own nest. The crow began with just sending out (what I think were) warning calls. The eagle didn't budge. So then the crow started hysterically dive bombing the eagle. The crow would fly right above the eagle and start flying directly downward toward the eagles head. The crow looked like it was free falling as it dove and as soon as it would reach close to the eagle it would flick it's wings and fly back up. It was a big circular motion with loud calls and distress from the crow and a stone like response from the eagle. The eagle finally grew tired of the crows shenanigans and took flight. The size difference between the two in the air was pretty incredible. The eagle chased the crow a little bit and took perch in another tree right next to the one where her nest was. That was the last I heard from the crow. I don't know what could've caused the tension. I mean the eagle was sitting in the nest of her own nest. The issue must not have been of extreme importance to the other crows either because the dive bomber was on a solo mission. I assume it was an instinctual reaction to a predatory bird from the crow and I'm pretty sure that the crows are also nesting in the area. But the whole ordeal was very exciting to watch and just another reel in the daily drama of springtime birds.

It is not easy getting bird pics with a camera phone

BUGS!

5/14/14      2:00pm      67*F
              Partly Cloudy

I began this weeks visit by adding the wetlands to my walking tour of the area. It is so exciting to now be able to identify so many different plants without the need for my guide! There is a small bridge/walking path through the marsh area of Madrona Park close to the lake. I was able to find an abundance of black cotton wood, willow, vine maple, thimbleberry, huckleberry, salmonberry, lady fern and of course…salall all in the marsh. There are still a few species I didn't know and will be working to identify to add to my walking tour. The funny thing about today is that there was also an abundance of cotton floating through the air everywhere. My allergies had never experienced berating a little piece of cotton into my nose before. I began mapping out the changes in species as I walk uphill along the path to my observation spot. One thing I noticed this trip was the increase in birds as I walked higher into the trail. My observation point is not the best location for bird watching because all the Doug firs, western hemlock, and big leaf maples are so tall that it is very hard to find all the birds I hear. I look forward to identifying them by call. I did get to see a small flock of about 4 stellar jays that came and left pretty quickly. I could hear the very unpleasant calls of the baby crows that seem to be growing quickly. There was a lot of action with the adult crows and I assumed that they were looking out for the young. They were keeping a close eye on me as I was walking around and they were a lot more active than I had seen them before. I heard a dramatic increase in the bird population overall. There was a wider range of calls and a lot of action. I don't know if this is due to the change in weather or if it is based on my increased knowledge and attention to the bird species of the area. I have throughly been enjoying this section of the course. I find myself bird watching all the time now, always keeping my binoculars close by. As far as the plant species of my observation site, I noticed that the snowberry plants have began to flower and the red currant is beginning to bud roses. Down by the marsh I seen two of the first salmon berries that have turned orange and look delicious. I must say that the insect portion of this week's journal assignment has been by far the most difficult. I really don't like bugs and going out looking for them was a challenge. Luckily I was able to find some without having to do too much digging. Simply by paying attention to the undertow of the forest I noticed a whole other world operating. The first insect I found was a big ant.

It was alone which is different from what I would have expected because ants are known to be very social creatures. I don't know where it was going and it was a fleeting sighting but it was bigger than any ant I'd seen before. I don't know if this was due to age or species. I am hoping that the isolated behavior of the ant is telling of what kind it was. The second insect I found was the "potato bug". After further research in the field guide I found that the latin name for this insect is Armadillidiidae and the common name is the common pill bug. They have 7 legs and two antanea on top of armadillo type bodies with "plates" lining their back making it possible for them t roll into a protective ball very quickly. The two I found were engaged in what looked like a fight. They were rolling around together aggressively. This also could have been contributed to mating behavior. I also found several millipedes.

They have all black bodies with yellowish orange circle patterns on the lower sides where the legs come out. They have several (too many to count) legs and two antanea. The three I found were under a small piece of wood near a snag. They weren't moving. I don't know if they were dead or simply resting. One was rolled into a ball which is a protective stance from predators. According to the field guide they are able to secrete a foul smelling odor when they are threatened.

One of the more active insects I found was working alone on the ground. The yellow-faced bumble bee was busy digging a small hole in soft soil near my observation site. This is a big bee that has long thick black hair. It's face is all yellow as well as it's rear. It has black wings that are pretty noisy (which is how I spotted it). According to the field guide these bumble bees are known to both pollinate flowers but differ from honey bees because they nest underground as opposed to in a hive. They can be found at this time of year only! The last invertebrate I found was a fly of some sort. It looked too small to be a dragonfly but it had the same shape and wing pattern. It is all black with a red head. It has four wings and was sticking close to the snags near my site. I am hoping to get ID help through inaturalist. I do have to say that searching for invertebrates at my site has been the most challenging of the assignments. I am not too fond of insects and definitely never go looking for them. It was nice, however, to get outside the larger scope of things for a moment and notice the ever-changing nature of nature's floor. During future visits I will definitely be more keen to watch my step!

A new and unidentified species.
Stay tuned!

My How Natures' Grown!

Long flat blades with no nodes= Sedges!
Found near the creek. Wetland species.

4/25/14      3:00pm      60*F                   Mostly Cloudy

Only 2 weeks later my observation site looks like an entirely different park! I know that this is partly due to the changes in plants but it is in part due to my own changes in perspective. I am able to identify a lot more species now. For example I can now confirm that my observation site is directly under a grand fir tree (not a western red cedar like I'd thought based on its branch formation). I can also recognize the diverse combination of trees that are designated to this area. Just in 20 feet I see douglas fir, grand fir, big leaf maple, baby grand firs, western red cedar, and several shrubs. After visiting the old growth forest I've noticed the very different species of moss here. The bird sounds have also changed since I was here last. I haven't heard the eaglets yet but i did hear a wood pecker for the first time. The area is full of songs though. Unfortunately I forgot my binoculars and am not able to get a better look at the world above (a mistake I won't repeat). I did, however, get a look at the crows nest I seen in the process of construction three weeks ago. It appears to be completed and is not under constant surveillance. I also hear other baby bird sounds above. Eggs must be hatching and Madrona Park is quickly becoming a bird nursery. Another thing I noticed after visiting the old growth forest is the youthfulness of this natural area. The entire forest floor is covered with new offspring of species ad even the tallest of trees appears to be in its adolescence. I have throughly enjoyed the newfound ability to identify all that I am surrounded with. Today I was even fortunate enough to get a verbal piece of natural history. One of the trail walkers that came by has lived in the area for over 49 years! He said that he'd seen the redemption of the natural area of Madrona Park. The trails were not walkable until about 6 or 7 years ago. He said that different groups came in and cleared the trails and restored the creek that runs through. He even told me the story of his wife catching a very rare glimpse of a Wilson's Snipe in the trails one day. It was a great passing conversation that added a rich new perspective to my day's observations.

Horse tails found near water and creek not high
in trail. Very short (10") and found in clusters.
Contains long pines and base is hollow

Evidence of a diverse bunch! A big leaf
maple leaf and a Douglas fir cone. Note
the tight shape and small size
 of the Douglas fir cone with and
the size of the maple leaf (7")

Lysichiton Americanus or
more commonly known as
skunk cabbage flowers
early and remains as leaves
that look like big (11") greens
on the forest floor.

Dicentra Formosa a.k.a the bleeding heart
flower. These purple flowers look like hearts
with 3-5 hanging off a single stem. Leaves
resemble that of ferns each with 4 lobes.

One of the more common plants in the PNW. Salal has
leathery green and reddish leaves that are oval
in shape. It is a shrub that can be found flowering in the
spring with pink and white urn shaped flower patterns.

Taking a Trip Back in Time

Chocolate Lilly's on the shores of Salt Creek

This weekend’s field trip to the Olympic peninsula had more education in store than I could have expected! We visited two very different landscapes, an old growth forest and the minus tide of Salt Creek, but both had several of the characteristics that can be found in any natural environment.

Image of competition in Salt Creek

The first process that was most apparent at Salt Creek is the process of competition between species. One of the fiercest examples of natural competition I think I’ve ever seen was the competition for surface area on the beaches of Salt Creek. It was a battle royal between the mussels and the three major barnacle species, the acorn barnacle (Balanus crenatus), the goose barnacle (Pollicipes polymerus), and the thatched barnacle (Semibalanus cariosus). The beach floor and large rocks were largely covered with large bay mussels and the mussels were largely covered with barnacles. Surface area and large numbers are vital to the survival of these species because they are such a sought after meal by many. It was so interesting to see the barnacles move onto the mussels to further their space advantage. This seemed like an age-old competition that shows no signs of ending any time soon. At first glance there weren’t many direct examples of disturbance in the forest. In fact, that is part of what made it so remarkable. The habitats seemed like they had never been disturbed by anything. A closer look quickly proved different. The first giveaway of a previous disturbance was the heavy burns that we found on some of the trees left from a 300 year old forest fire. The trees that had lived to tell the tale contained burns that had carved out their center some that were clear through to the other side. These signs showed us that the trees not containing burns had either grown after the fire (which would have resulted in the process of succession for their species growth) or had simply avoided the flames. Either way the evidence of the forest fire disturbance was amazing. The trees that had been burned and lived were able to do so because of the survival of their cells on the outer layer of the trunk. We also learned that the trees were in the process of healing from the outside in and were slowly growing around the burned interior to enclose their exposed middle and continue living and thriving. This process was almost unbelievable but the proof lied right in front of us. In this particular case of disturbance the order of succession wasn’t as important as the individual trees ability to repel fire. So the more established trees with the strongest defense to fires lived on.

A rare sighting of a Rose Enenemy

One of the most interesting examples I learned about predation was on the mussel beds of Salt Creek. I had never seen so many muscles or such big mussels… ever. They seemed to be the dominant species in the area with no threat of predation because of their large numbers. Although, upon closer inspection I found that even though the mussels dominated most of the space at the beach, looking back through my photos I found that wherever I photographed sea stars I would see no muscles. With help from the experts of the area I learned that sea stars feed on mussels but to seeing the drastic special differences really drove this point home. There were several square meters covered in oyster beds but as soon as I would spot a mature sea star the mussel population would disappear. This showed me how the entire landscape of an area can and is changed by predation even if the predator population is only a small fraction of that of its prey.

Notice the lack of mussels in this area

Disturbance in the mussel bed caused by strong waves

I learned about the ripple effects that are had on ecosystems both in the forest and in the tide pools. This process, also known as trophic cascade, contains a keystone predator species that changes the ecosystem through its presence or absence. An example of this at Salt Creek would be a long chain of sea life with the greatest predator being the keystone species. For example, we saw several sea stars that were responsible for regulating the muscle and barnacle population. If a sea star predator were introduced and ridded the area of most of its sea stars there would be an over population of mussels and barnacles that would fill in the areas where sea urchins and algae currently dwell in. Changing the sea star population would result in an over population of one species and essentially not leave room for the others to survive as well. There are several other possible examples but this was one that I could easily identify based on what I was able to see during minus tide. While hiking along the trails of the Olympic forest we learned very quickly that it rained a lot there. During parts of our walk it seemed to be raining on the forest floor, as a result of collected water from the canopy, when the rain had actually stopped. This factor plays a giant role in the ecological structure and the species of vegetation found in one of the world’s wettest places. The first thing you notice is the incredible amount of moss. I don’t believe that I found one tree that didn’t have moss from top to bottom. Even the youngest trees were covered. I was concerned that this could be invasive or dangerous to the trees sort of like ivy is. We learned that not only is moss not harmful to trees. To the contrary new research has shown it to be contributing to the life of a tree in an extraordinary way. A UW professor has recently found the moss on trees to be contributory to the creation of canopy soil. Older and larger trees have also been found to be sprouting roots in their canopies and enhancing their health and growth through this process. This is a direct result of the very wet climate of the area and a prime example of the continued wonder of forest’s ability to self sustain.

Moss on the ground and on trees!

 This was definitely a trip to remember. I learned so much more than I am able to fit into one blog entry. The incredible balance and infinite nature of these environments is nothing short of astonishing. Although this could be considered common sense knowledge, to see it in action and to gain an understanding of the processes was the most enjoyable part. I am indebted to the naturalists who have come before me and documented all these species with description and history. Having my field guide and the knowledge of predecessors allows me to simply enjoy and wonder at what is in front of me. It is so true that there is no substitute for simple getting out there experiencing nature with all your senses. The excitement of spotting out wildlife, the peace of simply observing, and the deep sense of connection to the natural world is an experience that should not be missed. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and my only regret is that I hadn’t experienced it sooner.

Notice the amount of species in such a small area

An urchin is vital to the eco system

Goose Barnacles!

The continued competition for space