Fall Return to the Woods

Out to the Woods twice this week. Today with Darin and Rebecca to explore leaf litter research possibilities. Lots of leaves down now, maybe 80%. Most canopy leaves still up high on old grandfather cottonwood. A few mosquitoes on tree loop as I replaced/ refreshed tree tags. Pool at Island Crossing is partly refilled. Water pooled in the wash is dark with organics. With the saw, I cleared the slowly sinking arch of the broken elm and vine tangle blocking the NW trail by the big Viburnum. Cleared the fallen elms blocking the west end of the Two Friends Trail. Quarter inch rain a few days ago, left a nice autumnal acid smell in the air, decomposition starting again. Found some salmon pink slime mold recently crawled up on elm log.  Near largest western cottonwood, big leaning pecan has broken at base, crashed down and smashed or scarred several other trees. South 30 m from big cottonwood, leaning old elm has scar bleeding flux that is attractive to two Polistes wasps, a Vespula yellowjacket and several species of flies. No predation going on, although flies are a bit skittish about quick movements of Polistes.
No deer seen but some buck soil scrapes are showing up along tree loop. Gambusia roiling the surface of the NW pond.. shallow and small but still enough to sustain. The Gambusia will have eliminated most invertebrate larvae including odonates. One more substantial tree to clear from trail leading down the hill below the south end of the Tree Loop. Spider webs mostly gone from trails. Woods are busy with abundant robins at 5 PM before the time change this weekend.