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.