Returned to the Woods through the SW Gate this afternoon. I am thinking we may get some rain from Bonnie and I wanted to see if the Woods have dried up. They have.
The first 200 feet of the main SW Trail is now covered with a layered processed leaf pack washed there by floods a fortnight ago. It has been baked dry by the heat.. The soil beneath it is still quite moist but it has the smell of good aerobic decomposition..not a flooded anoxic odor. Further along the trail, the soil is wetter.. or moister.. there is no standing water remaining along the entire trail.
I marked the deepest pool location (now dry) with a red wire flag. A meter west of it there is the most heavily used, game highway. Quite pronounced and well defined only a meter or less wide running south to cross the dune and north to enter the dense young green ash stand. I flagged it. It may be interesting to observe game trails and see how constant they are, season to season and year to year.
The Sympetrum dragonflies had returned to their regular perch.. five adults this time. I watched as one dropped down to forage on flies in a light patch a couple meters to the southeast.
Light gaps were attractive for other showy insects too.. red spotted purples and orange brushfooted nymphalids were flying in other light gaps. A nice day-flying patchy gray Catocola underwing moth landed on a dying big green ash while I sat and scribbled. Significant mosquitoes around me even with DEET.. not too bad.
The SW Cut-off Trail to Tall Stump needs replenishment of orange and light blue paint.
Around many of the snags there is now an abundance of frass or boring dust from beetles and carpenter ants. Some of the frass from down bur oak branches I imagine may be cerambycids or Dynastes Hercules beetles.
The flooding of the forest from the Lloyd Noble run-off has more or less simultaneously begun the death or degradation of many of the large mature trees in the southern half of the forest. Dendrochronology and stand analysis should document this.
In the canopy, cicadas and katydids. The cicadas start in the mid range and then increase their pitch and accelerate like a bicycle tire accelerating with a card stuck in the spokes. One cicada will produce this call and then be answered by another some distance away in a duet.
On the ground there is relatively fresh (< 2 week old) "cotton" from the big cottonwood. I think these trees must shed their seeds over several pulses throughout the summer. There is also a widespread white efflorescence common on the ground like patches of white mycelia.. or drying crusts of soluble minerals.
Small flocks (3-5) of robins in the understory.. there are more closer to the southern cattails.
I walked back towards the Chautauqua side and north around the sedge beds toward the 2 meter plus tall cattails. The forest and sedges were all dry until near the cattails where there was standing water.. (smelled like feces). I found the hibiscus (in flower) I had seen in the ice and snow of winter.
I must go and really explore the cattails now in the full summer. There are growing Argiope garden spiders there.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Hibiscus and box turtle
On the west side of the west pond there were three 1.3 meter tall hibiscus with large showy white flowers each with crimson throat and stigma. They were standing in waterlogged mud surrounded by tall sedges. I recognized the dried brown seed pods from the plant I puzzled over this past winter a few hundred meters south, at the southern end of the cattail marsh.
I took my saw early this morning to clear the hanging bumelia snag blocking the dune trail. Across the dune I cleared several logs blocking drainage below the dam.. then walked north and cleared other branches and boles accumulated across the trails since May. North toward Tall Stump; east toward the Wash, clearing old broken hackberry and branches on big live cedar leaning across the trail at Fence Corner. At Elm Bridge water was no longer flowing. A large pool of tea-stained water remained, perking with life north of the bridge but the trail crossing was dry. The southern end of the two trail connector had been nicely cleared by floodwater coursing along it parallel and west of the Wash. Westward I cleared a pecan bole (heavy wood) blocking the Trans OWP west of Hackberry Alley. The Northern Loop was in good shape. The lower southeast end had become a course for floodwater flowing from a low point in the western levee.
There are now thousands of undersized pecans on the forest floor and full sized green persimmons. Defoliating bagworms feed on young persimmon saplings in the understory.
West of tree #151 encountered a young box turtle on the trail. No other turtles, deer, rabbits, squirrels skinks etc. The herp bucket trap arrays seem to be all gone except three on the west side closest to Rudy's. The ecology multi-hoop turtle trap is still by the west pond.
After 12 dry days, with highs in the mid to upper 90's each day, the eastern and northern Woods are dry. The shaded Woods along lower Chautauqua are still wet looking. I need to check the main southwest trail.
The Woods have the feel of the start of late summer. The leaves are older and rougher.. damaged by nibbling and galls. Bag worms and their silken defoliated branches are developing in the mulberries.
Along the southern service road the big yellow grasshoppers are abundant.
I took my saw early this morning to clear the hanging bumelia snag blocking the dune trail. Across the dune I cleared several logs blocking drainage below the dam.. then walked north and cleared other branches and boles accumulated across the trails since May. North toward Tall Stump; east toward the Wash, clearing old broken hackberry and branches on big live cedar leaning across the trail at Fence Corner. At Elm Bridge water was no longer flowing. A large pool of tea-stained water remained, perking with life north of the bridge but the trail crossing was dry. The southern end of the two trail connector had been nicely cleared by floodwater coursing along it parallel and west of the Wash. Westward I cleared a pecan bole (heavy wood) blocking the Trans OWP west of Hackberry Alley. The Northern Loop was in good shape. The lower southeast end had become a course for floodwater flowing from a low point in the western levee.
There are now thousands of undersized pecans on the forest floor and full sized green persimmons. Defoliating bagworms feed on young persimmon saplings in the understory.
West of tree #151 encountered a young box turtle on the trail. No other turtles, deer, rabbits, squirrels skinks etc. The herp bucket trap arrays seem to be all gone except three on the west side closest to Rudy's. The ecology multi-hoop turtle trap is still by the west pond.
After 12 dry days, with highs in the mid to upper 90's each day, the eastern and northern Woods are dry. The shaded Woods along lower Chautauqua are still wet looking. I need to check the main southwest trail.
The Woods have the feel of the start of late summer. The leaves are older and rougher.. damaged by nibbling and galls. Bag worms and their silken defoliated branches are developing in the mulberries.
Along the southern service road the big yellow grasshoppers are abundant.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Dank and Sodden
It has been a week since the recent flooding rains ended on the 12th; and it has been hot 95-100 F most days. At 10:30 I checked in the SW entrance to see if everything was wet or drying up.
The main trail was sodden but clear of water up to the big green ash (#46). The Woods on either side were dank with humidity and rot.
Beyond the big green ash there were shallow pools and some continuous ankle deep lakes. I walked / waded the trail to the dam. The water stopped about 50 feet west of the dam.
With some DEET there were few or no mosquitoes bothering me. I saw one middle aged dobson fly larvae swimming along undulating through sunlit water. I hope there are many more reducing the population of mosquito wrigglers.
The traditional Sympetrum dragonfly perch at the SE end of the sedges was occupied by a solitary Erythemis instead.
The deepest water, mid calf, was by the small elm northwest of the old hollow grandfather cottonwood.
I saw no deer or other tetrapods although there were tracks a-plenty, likely coons, possums, skunks, armadillos and similar.
Birds in the understory were robins and a pair of nuthatches (?).
I drove around to check other access points. The south service road was passable although a little more eroded and there is a new deposit of soft sand at the base of the hill where one could spin tires. The road should should firm up OK in the next few days. A lake of water was still ponded up at the trap by the culvert.
The northeast entrance drive was OK too although it felt a little soft. I walked in to the big walnut and the trail seemed fine although not as clear as this spring. I need to walk out there with Bruce and learn more of the plants that are growing in.
The main trail was sodden but clear of water up to the big green ash (#46). The Woods on either side were dank with humidity and rot.
Beyond the big green ash there were shallow pools and some continuous ankle deep lakes. I walked / waded the trail to the dam. The water stopped about 50 feet west of the dam.
With some DEET there were few or no mosquitoes bothering me. I saw one middle aged dobson fly larvae swimming along undulating through sunlit water. I hope there are many more reducing the population of mosquito wrigglers.
The traditional Sympetrum dragonfly perch at the SE end of the sedges was occupied by a solitary Erythemis instead.
The deepest water, mid calf, was by the small elm northwest of the old hollow grandfather cottonwood.
I saw no deer or other tetrapods although there were tracks a-plenty, likely coons, possums, skunks, armadillos and similar.
Birds in the understory were robins and a pair of nuthatches (?).
I drove around to check other access points. The south service road was passable although a little more eroded and there is a new deposit of soft sand at the base of the hill where one could spin tires. The road should should firm up OK in the next few days. A lake of water was still ponded up at the trap by the culvert.
The northeast entrance drive was OK too although it felt a little soft. I walked in to the big walnut and the trail seemed fine although not as clear as this spring. I need to walk out there with Bruce and learn more of the plants that are growing in.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Where is the flood?
This morning from 10 am to 1 pm we had an additional 0.8 inch of rain for a total of 4 and a half inches this two weeks. At 2 pm I checked the north side of the main wash coming into Oliver's Woods along the north shoulder of highway 9. There was a large lake ponded up below the ropes course and the Aquatic Research Facility.. no current or whirl detectable of flow into the culvert. On the south side of the highway the flow in the eastern wash was moderate. I stepped across it a couple meters above its junction with the western wash. The western wash was deep and flowing fast. It passed by the northern most bur oak fallen across and into the wash without a problem. I crossed there on the tree. At the second bur oak suspended high across the wash (not the Bur Oak Bridge) the western levee wall was 2-3 feet lower across a 5-6 meter gap and this was where a river of water had spilled out to flow across the Woods cutting a channel by the junction of the North Loop and the Trans OWP Trail.
Down by the Elm Bridge the main channel flattened out to become a braided, wide flowing delta with no levee walls. Water was flowing everywhere westward across the SE quarter of the Woods. I imagine water was flowing upstream over the dam. Need another culvert under the southern service road or better, faster drainage from the southern central drainage point of the Woods.
Down by the Elm Bridge the main channel flattened out to become a braided, wide flowing delta with no levee walls. Water was flowing everywhere westward across the SE quarter of the Woods. I imagine water was flowing upstream over the dam. Need another culvert under the southern service road or better, faster drainage from the southern central drainage point of the Woods.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Fallen Giant
After a week of warm rainy days the skies cleared to partly cloudy today and at noon I ventured in to the NW entrance to the Woods along the Ponds Trail. The forest was full of warmth and thick humidity.. fungus heaven. There were also new spider webs (Micrantha and others) across the trail everywhere. (Interesting to see several webs were rebuilt from my first passing, just past noon, to my exit up the same trail at 4:30 pm.)
Measured big cottonwood in the Big Trees down in ice storm (?) three (?) years ago. At 4.5 feet above the base the circumference was 12 feet 6 inches..150 inches; 47.75 inches diameter. The height of the first three way fork was 34 feet 6 inches. Main straightest top was 80 feet to a broken top 13 inches in circumference. Tallest (left) main canopy branch was 94 feet from base to unbroken top. This is (was) the largest tree in the Woods.
Walked a good circuit: Ponds trail & Trans OWP trail to Bur Oak Bridge then south on the Two Bridge Connector; across Elm Bridge and up the east side of the stream then back across the Elm Bridge and west on E-W Fence Line Trail to Fence Corner, north on Two Pecan Trail and north again on the North Loop back to the East Pond and out via the Ponds Trail.
I cleared a fallen snag and tangle of branches across the path by the ponds, rebuilt the Elm Bridge and cleared vines and branches down across the trail.
No deer, two bright Cicindela sexguttata, two skinks? (not good observations). Surprised to see no turtles. It was perfect for box turtles today.. wet and warm everywhere. Gambusia in East Pond and by Elm Bridge (40+ there). Lots and lots of isopods everywhere.
All through the Woods there was evidence of washing or flooding mostly just flows of water from rain in the Woods.. deposits of sand, trail swept clear of natural litter. Will have had significant impact on forest microarthropod community. Interesting to watch it swing back into equilibrium.
Trailside needs clearing of small regrowth all along length with mower & loppers in fall.
Nine (small seed) ticks on me. Few adult mosquitoes after DEET.
Measured big cottonwood in the Big Trees down in ice storm (?) three (?) years ago. At 4.5 feet above the base the circumference was 12 feet 6 inches..150 inches; 47.75 inches diameter. The height of the first three way fork was 34 feet 6 inches. Main straightest top was 80 feet to a broken top 13 inches in circumference. Tallest (left) main canopy branch was 94 feet from base to unbroken top. This is (was) the largest tree in the Woods.
Walked a good circuit: Ponds trail & Trans OWP trail to Bur Oak Bridge then south on the Two Bridge Connector; across Elm Bridge and up the east side of the stream then back across the Elm Bridge and west on E-W Fence Line Trail to Fence Corner, north on Two Pecan Trail and north again on the North Loop back to the East Pond and out via the Ponds Trail.
I cleared a fallen snag and tangle of branches across the path by the ponds, rebuilt the Elm Bridge and cleared vines and branches down across the trail.
No deer, two bright Cicindela sexguttata, two skinks? (not good observations). Surprised to see no turtles. It was perfect for box turtles today.. wet and warm everywhere. Gambusia in East Pond and by Elm Bridge (40+ there). Lots and lots of isopods everywhere.
All through the Woods there was evidence of washing or flooding mostly just flows of water from rain in the Woods.. deposits of sand, trail swept clear of natural litter. Will have had significant impact on forest microarthropod community. Interesting to watch it swing back into equilibrium.
Trailside needs clearing of small regrowth all along length with mower & loppers in fall.
Nine (small seed) ticks on me. Few adult mosquitoes after DEET.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Evening wade
After a day or two of on-again, off-again rain, I went to the SW Gate of the Woods at 8 pm to see what the Woods looked like. The SW quarter is one large shallow lake with the higher dune, an island surrounded. Water was flowing rapidly out through the dam; but water from the northwest ponds and cattails should continue to flow into the southern Woods and keep a large area of 20 acres or more inundated for a substantial time.
Along the southern boundary north of the northeast corner of the old trash station, one or more of the breaks in the construction erosion fence has allowed a coating of red clay muck to be deposited in the Woods making the footing in the Woods slippery in places.
Leaving the Woods along the Main SW trail a large owl flew silently ahead of me. As I emerged through the gate, there was a lovely end of day sunset sky of blue with white clouds lined with gold - the clearest skies today.
I wonder if floating rafts of pecan nuts later produce crescent shaped clusters of young pecan seedlings where the nuts are deposited by retreating water.
A few dozen early but full-sized green persimmon fruit, pecans and walnuts are beginning to show up on the ground.. likely dropped by squirrels(?)
Along the southern boundary north of the northeast corner of the old trash station, one or more of the breaks in the construction erosion fence has allowed a coating of red clay muck to be deposited in the Woods making the footing in the Woods slippery in places.
Leaving the Woods along the Main SW trail a large owl flew silently ahead of me. As I emerged through the gate, there was a lovely end of day sunset sky of blue with white clouds lined with gold - the clearest skies today.
I wonder if floating rafts of pecan nuts later produce crescent shaped clusters of young pecan seedlings where the nuts are deposited by retreating water.
A few dozen early but full-sized green persimmon fruit, pecans and walnuts are beginning to show up on the ground.. likely dropped by squirrels(?)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Zillions of mosquito wrigglers
Brief return to the SW Woods today to collect some drowned earthworms..mostly gone now. I will have to remember to collect them soon as I see them after the next flood. In the shallow pools I checked, there were dense clusters of hundreds of mosquito wrigglers. They look near ready for pupation and emergence. Interesting that they cluster together in a group the size of an orange. What is the benefit of grouping together - escape from predators? I saw no dragonflies or other predators and I am afraid these mosquitoes are just about on the home stretch of their development to become adults. Just a few adults around now.. too few to be a bother.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Snapping turtle, hawk and Megastigmus after the flood
I returned to the Woods this afternoon to see what the flood had done. I disturbed a red shouldered hawk perched low in the forest understory and it flew west.
Entering via the SW Gate I saw water had come up the trail within 25 feet of the entrance and deposited a drift of sticks and floating pecan nuts. The clay and silt had settled out; and the water was a clear honey color. The depth now was mostly just over ankle deep. I walked the Main SW trail to the dam.
East of the grandfather cottonwood I found a young snapping turtle with shell about 30 cm long excluding head and neck. I moved it around with a stick gently for a minute or two until it powered away swimming into the murky water there.
At the dam, water was flowing rapidly eastward, draining from the Woods. There was enough water from the flood so the flow rate should continue for a few days.
No deer today on the south side. I watched a large green dragonfly (Basiaeschna? Anax junius?) ovipositing eggs on a small rotten log at the edge of the water. At the regular dragonfly trio hangout (southeastern most corner of the contiguous sedge stand) there was today just one dragonfly (same 'patriotic' species, Sympetrum ambiguum?). It came and perched on the tip of the stick I was carrying in front of me to clear webs. Along the southern boundary there was a male Libellula lydia whitetail with chalky white abdomen; and a green Erythemis simplicicollis pond hawk.
Emerging from the Woods by the 'blower building' there were hundreds of young brightly colored yellow and black large Schistocerca(?)grasshoppers along the grassy service road. The weather and vegetation there are supporting a bumper crop this year.
I cut and cleared a section of the dead hackberry blocking the main trail.. and noticed there new drowned earthworms in the clear pools of water. I should collect a good many and check if they are native or European.
In the past several weeks there has been some power line right-of-way clearing along the southern boundary trail with many 10-20 cm diameter elms, green ash, burr oak and others cut or trimmed extending 15-20 feet across the fence line into the Woods. There has been much more complete removal of the trees growing in the 20 foot gap between the southern fence line of the Woods and the northern fence line of the existing trash station. One result is a significant increase in sunlight along the southern boundary trail changing its character somewhat. It will now support growth of more vines honey suckle, poison ivy etc.. inside the Woods.
As I was looking at some of the cut trees a large jet black Megastigmus wasp with yellow head and forelegs and 12 cm ovipositor flew in and perched on the underside of a dogwood leaf near some fresh frass caught in spider webs below a boring beetle. I caught the wasp in my hand and admired its beauty and long ovipositor before letting it fly away.
Entering via the SW Gate I saw water had come up the trail within 25 feet of the entrance and deposited a drift of sticks and floating pecan nuts. The clay and silt had settled out; and the water was a clear honey color. The depth now was mostly just over ankle deep. I walked the Main SW trail to the dam.
East of the grandfather cottonwood I found a young snapping turtle with shell about 30 cm long excluding head and neck. I moved it around with a stick gently for a minute or two until it powered away swimming into the murky water there.
At the dam, water was flowing rapidly eastward, draining from the Woods. There was enough water from the flood so the flow rate should continue for a few days.
No deer today on the south side. I watched a large green dragonfly (Basiaeschna? Anax junius?) ovipositing eggs on a small rotten log at the edge of the water. At the regular dragonfly trio hangout (southeastern most corner of the contiguous sedge stand) there was today just one dragonfly (same 'patriotic' species, Sympetrum ambiguum?). It came and perched on the tip of the stick I was carrying in front of me to clear webs. Along the southern boundary there was a male Libellula lydia whitetail with chalky white abdomen; and a green Erythemis simplicicollis pond hawk.
Emerging from the Woods by the 'blower building' there were hundreds of young brightly colored yellow and black large Schistocerca(?)grasshoppers along the grassy service road. The weather and vegetation there are supporting a bumper crop this year.
I cut and cleared a section of the dead hackberry blocking the main trail.. and noticed there new drowned earthworms in the clear pools of water. I should collect a good many and check if they are native or European.
In the past several weeks there has been some power line right-of-way clearing along the southern boundary trail with many 10-20 cm diameter elms, green ash, burr oak and others cut or trimmed extending 15-20 feet across the fence line into the Woods. There has been much more complete removal of the trees growing in the 20 foot gap between the southern fence line of the Woods and the northern fence line of the existing trash station. One result is a significant increase in sunlight along the southern boundary trail changing its character somewhat. It will now support growth of more vines honey suckle, poison ivy etc.. inside the Woods.
As I was looking at some of the cut trees a large jet black Megastigmus wasp with yellow head and forelegs and 12 cm ovipositor flew in and perched on the underside of a dogwood leaf near some fresh frass caught in spider webs below a boring beetle. I caught the wasp in my hand and admired its beauty and long ovipositor before letting it fly away.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Fast Flood
June has been hot and dry except for some brief heavy rains. Today gentle soaking rain was followed by fairly heavy rain with total 1.5 inches rainfall by noon. I have been three weeks away out of the Woods (and there would be few or no ticks), so I decided to go for a walk. Entering via the SW Gate and walking up the Main SW trail I encountered a fast moving snout of flooding water heading along the trail, filling the southern Woods. I walked into the flood and found the water deeper than I had seen before. I quickly over topped my boot. Everywhere the water was flowing, rippling SW. The southern Woods will be drowned for a couple weeks. One moderate sized hackberry tree that had been dead and leaning heavily has fallen across the SW trail and will need to be cleared.
The water was the color of mocha coffee, carrying silt, run-off from across the Woods; from the Lloyd Noble Center and campus parking. This may be the cause of the death of the old oaks and other mature hardwoods in the southern and western sections of Oliver's Woods. [Lloyd Noble Ctr opened in 1975 with significant expansion on the south side in 2001. Estimated built & paved size: 60-70 acres. This pavement will produce the run-off that floods under Highway 9 and into the Woods.]
Wading east there was an abrupt change of water to the color of bright clay red. The color of tomato soup with milk stirred in.. a large spill over from the erosion fences on the north side of the construction/ bulldozers for the new trash station. I walked to the South Boundary Trail thinking it would be better; but it was deeper there. The water by the metal sign bill board was over my boot (max depth about 27 inches or 68 cm.. mid thigh depth). By the G0 post the water was 1.5 units below the bottom of the painted zero. North across the dune to the dam, the water was rippling upstream over the low dam.
At the Tall Stump junction I saw ants, millipedes and one firefly larva climbing the stump, heading for high ground. The ants carried their brood.
East on the E-W Fence Line trail to the Elm Bridge. I could barely get across the full flowing wash balanced on the bare top log.
Crossing west on the Burr Oak Bridge and north on the Northern Loop I found a tide of water had flattened the grasses along the southeastern end of the Northern Loop.
Backed up by the massive burr oak washed into the stream at the junction of the East and West Wash, water had overflowed the top of the western levee.
Above the wash junction, by the cluster of cottonwoods, water had flowed over the lower eastern shoulder of the levee but had had not crossed the top of the levee wall.
Walking along Hackberry Alley, and heading out via the Ponds Trail the rain started to fall moderately heavily again and I listened to the sound as it filled the green Woods.
The water was the color of mocha coffee, carrying silt, run-off from across the Woods; from the Lloyd Noble Center and campus parking. This may be the cause of the death of the old oaks and other mature hardwoods in the southern and western sections of Oliver's Woods. [Lloyd Noble Ctr opened in 1975 with significant expansion on the south side in 2001. Estimated built & paved size: 60-70 acres. This pavement will produce the run-off that floods under Highway 9 and into the Woods.]
Wading east there was an abrupt change of water to the color of bright clay red. The color of tomato soup with milk stirred in.. a large spill over from the erosion fences on the north side of the construction/ bulldozers for the new trash station. I walked to the South Boundary Trail thinking it would be better; but it was deeper there. The water by the metal sign bill board was over my boot (max depth about 27 inches or 68 cm.. mid thigh depth). By the G0 post the water was 1.5 units below the bottom of the painted zero. North across the dune to the dam, the water was rippling upstream over the low dam.
At the Tall Stump junction I saw ants, millipedes and one firefly larva climbing the stump, heading for high ground. The ants carried their brood.
East on the E-W Fence Line trail to the Elm Bridge. I could barely get across the full flowing wash balanced on the bare top log.
Crossing west on the Burr Oak Bridge and north on the Northern Loop I found a tide of water had flattened the grasses along the southeastern end of the Northern Loop.
Backed up by the massive burr oak washed into the stream at the junction of the East and West Wash, water had overflowed the top of the western levee.
Above the wash junction, by the cluster of cottonwoods, water had flowed over the lower eastern shoulder of the levee but had had not crossed the top of the levee wall.
Walking along Hackberry Alley, and heading out via the Ponds Trail the rain started to fall moderately heavily again and I listened to the sound as it filled the green Woods.
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