High Summer in the Woods

2 July 2009

Back through the new north gate after three weeks away I was happy to see the trail still open and in good shape.

Woolly aphids on previously cut vegetation: young hackberry, sprouts of greenbrier clematis etc.. a significant amount of this along the path from the southwest gate. What plants do they prefer? ( project !)

Reasonably good/ diverse assortment of birds singing along escarpment trail from northeast gate and down into the high woods.

Spiders webs Micrathena and others.. census along the northeast escarpment trail. Count number of webs intercepted along trail twice per week for summer and into early autumn. ( project !)

Traffic noise from highway 9 during morning commute.. note how sound changes (abruptly?) in quality (high pitch snare of tires drops out quickly, low base rumble of engines carries farther) and in volume. How does this affect bird sound at dawn? (project)

In one hour or less in Woods came up with a score of ticks or more so they are still abundant, in full size and seed tick size. Why are there so many ticks here?

I drove along south boundary service road from closed entrance gate to old compost facility. Feral (?) domestic cat running into SE corner of Woods with small mouse(?) in mouth. Road was dry and passable but grown up in weeds 2-3 feet high. Run light traps and beer traps or not?

Carabids attracted to banana slices.. mark, release, recapture along various portions of northeast trail.. upper northeast escarpment and woodland trail west of burr oak bridge. (project)

Lots (5-10) robins along shaded southwest trail.