Two weeks of spring

First two weeks of March have been mostly mild, warm and dry. Today at 6 PM I walked from the SW gate along the S Boundary Trail and up across the Western Dune Trail. Approaching from the Dune crossing from the southwest there are a series of small hummocks of soil that are curious. I need to ask Katie K and Jason J what they might be. At the top of the dune two cottontail rabbits sprinted or loped away. At the top of Hackberry Alley there are three hawthorn blooming. Eleagnus Russian olive leaves are more fully out on NE Escarpment Trail. One yellow lab sized dog..no collar with large red sore on left back emerged from under the base of the Burr Oak Bridge.
On the north side across the SW trail I found an old green ash log and sat to observe.
This past Tuesday 8 March Mike and I walked through much of the Woods.. Found Lamium pupureum (not henbit) in bloom by Elm Bridge.. first flower in the Woods for spring. We checked a herp array bucket left open west of the western pond. Three crayfish had fallen in. Liz identifies as Procambarus arcutus. One pulled from bucket went walking away over dry leaves. Interesting that they disperse by walking across dry habitat. Also in the bucket were live Scincella lateralis little brown skink and several millipedes: long thin Julid? and stout Polydesmid; black Meloid beetles Epicauta (?)
Along the trail Mike found Tridopsis (?) snails and several white-tailed deer.