August Woods Walk and a Chicken

Hot. July 15-Aug 7 are the Woods' hottest three weeks over recent 30 year average. I went to see the mid-late summer Woods at 2:30 via the SW Gate. Immediate relief from the sun under the shade of the big bur oaks. The soft racket of cicadas filled the air.. not deafening; but audible. I walked north and encountered a large white-tailed doe that trotted north inside the fence line.

I  followed her along the Westside Trail. The soil, through the swampy west side near Chautauqua had no standing water. It looked damp.. but no mud and no water outside the sedge-lined swamp. Along the Main SW trail, discrete patches of Carex hystericina sedge were growing where the canopy opened for a patch of light. Southeastward, the Polygonum was growing in a more expansive stand.

By the NW Pond, I disturbed a young Great Blue Heron that flew noisily east in the main pond and then up into a tree, as I passed by. Despite the heat of the past few weeks, the pond was well-filled. Libellulid dragonfly and Coenagrionid damselfly.

On the laden Viburnum, a full crop of fruit were still green.

The East Pond was only half filled.
Despite the heat; there was enough rain in July to keep good water in the ponds; and have fresh Auricularia wood ear fungi growing at the base of trees.

Lots of spider webs all through the Woods, mostly Micrathena gracilis.. but there were other, maybe Linypheiids?

I was surprised to see the wash full and gently flowing at Elm Bridge and at Island Crossing. At Island Crossing there was a school of minnows (Gambusia?).

Not much blooming in the Woods. The Elephantopus is growing up and filling in along the trail but no flowers.

With good soil water, plenty of light and heat, and leaves still in good condition; this may be near the peak of total daily photosynthesis for the Woods. I think the life of the Woods now is going to be even more nocturnal than usual. More foraging by moonlight or starlight.

 Just east of the Big Tree #200 a very large pecan has tilted and fallen.

Walking out of the Woods along the south boundary, I hear a 'clucking' sound like a scolding squirrel.. followed by a cry like an immature crow.. confusing. I did not recognize until I saw a domestic hen running along ahead of me from the trash station heading west. Never seen that in the Woods before!

Bambi and Red-Eared Slider

Sunday morning out at 8 with Amy to review the Tree Loop. Needs some refreshing or replacement of ID tags. Trimmed a little of the Elephantopus, Elephant's foot and other vegetation growing in trail. More trimming needed. Abundant Spined Micrathena, Micrathena gracilis females on their webs across the trail. Carried saw into SE connector trail to clear largish fallen ash, blocking trail. Found a young red-eared slider sitting out on the sand below the Elm Bridge.
Then around to SW entrance. Cleared out giant ragweed, honeysuckle and clematis vines threatening to obscure entrance gate. Carried saw to clear dead elm across main SW trail. Two white-tailed does were accompanying four spotted small bambis. The fawns sprinted away east, splashing across and through the shallow water around 125 m. I sang to the does and they walked warily away but did not seem alarmed. No ticks or mosquitoes.

Mid Summer Muggy Woods and Armadillo

I went this morning to the NW Entrance at 9. It had been two months since I was last in the woods. The Woods were muggy, warm, humid from the 1.5 inch of rain night before last. The trails and the forest floor had the look of being washed of all their leaf litter and organic debris.. earlier heavy 2.5 inch rain two weeks ago may have done this.
The NW pond was quiet.. a few species of Libellulid dragonflies skimming around, but no turtles out basking, none that I saw.
I walked about half of the trails, and found one significant tree down across the trails, a dead ash on the SE Connector trail. One Armadillo scurried and hopped away from me at Barney's corner. A white-tailed deer noisily splashed away from me in the flooded NW corner of the NW pond as I was leaving. Throughout the Woods there were many Micrathena gracilis spiders with their orb webs draped across the trails. This would be a good time to study them. Where they build. Do they return to the same twigs if their web is destroyed? When do they build etc. I saw Hyphantria fall webworm on three species of trees: a few box elder, an elm and a pecan.
Not much flowering. The orange Campsis trumpet vines were in full bloom along the roadside fence south of the NW entrance. Elephantopus elephant's foot plants were abundant along the trails and providing thick cover in some places.. but no blooms, The orange-flowered weed, with sharp achenes(?) and dissected leaves was abundant, but few, or no blooms. I did not see any ticks (yet).
  The SW Trail from Tall Stump to Heather's wired trees was underwater. The Tree Loop was in good shape but needs a swing blade to clear some of it.
  I found the Tree of Heaven Ailanthus saplings in the regular location. The crushed leaves have a nutty, burnt-coffee smell that distinguishes them from the similar pecan sapling leaves that just smell like green foliage. There were more stems of the Botrypus fern near and north of the three big cottonwoods along the Wash.

Updating Tree Loop information a week ago, I found a new species, one winged elm by the two black jack oaks.

Number	Side	Genus	spp.	common	Comments	update 15 May 2016
xx	R	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	dead
2	R	Quercus	macrocarpa x stellata		OK
2.1	R	Juglans	nigra	walnut	30' W of #2
2.2	R	Populus	deltoides	cottonwood	45' W; bottom of slope by culvert
2.3	R	Fraxinus	pennsylvanica	green ash	eliminated in flood
2.4	R	Acer	negundo	box elder	20' S of cottonwood; 2.5  m tall
2.5	R	Acer	negundo	box elder	20' S of cottonwood; 2.5  m tall
2.6	R	Robinia	pseudoacacia	black locust	35' S of cottonwood; cut for power line right of way
2.61	L	Fraxinus	pennsylvanica	green ash
2.62	L	Fraxinus	pennsylvanica	green ash
2.7	R	Robinia	pseudoacacia	black locust	upslope SE of copiced Robinia
2.8	R	Robinia	pseudoacacia	black locust	upslope SE of copiced Robinia
2.9	R	Robinia	pseudoacacia	black locust	upslope further S of copiced Robinia
2.91	R	Acer	negundo	box elder	5' S of #2.9
3	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	DEAD
4	R	Carya	texana	black hickory	OK
4.1	R	Carya	texana	black hickory	OK
5	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	DEAD
5.1	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan
6	R	Quercus	palustris	pin oak	OK
6.1	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	OK
6.2	L	Albizia		mimosa	sapling 2 m
xx	L	Pyrus	sp	pear	DEAD fallen
8	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	DEAD
xx	L	Elaeagnus		Russian olive	shrub	DEAD;live privet at base now
10	L	Quercus	palustris	pin oak	OK
11	L	Carya	texana	black hickory	OK
12	L	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree		10' behind #11
		Trail Jct with West Loop
12.1	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	OK
13	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	DEAD
13.1	R	Carya	texana	black hickory	OK	25' W of trail	West loop
13.2	R	Sideroxylon	lanuginosum	chittamwood	OK, small	25' W of trail	West loop
13.21	L	Fraxinus	pennsylvanica	green ash			West loop
13.3	R	Quercus	macrocarpa	bur oak			West loop
13.4	R	Ulmus	rubra	slippery elm	many stem burls		West loop
13.5	R	Quercus	macrocarpa	bur oak			West loop
13.6	L	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon			West loop
13.61	R	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon		2 stems	West loop
13.7	L	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon		broken top; live basal sprouts	West loop
13.8	R	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon	big		West loop
13.81	R	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon		tween big persimmon & walnut	West loop
13.82	L	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon			West loop
13.9	R	Juglans	nigra	walnut			West loop
13.99	L	Euonymus		vine			West loop
13.91	R	Cornus	drummondii	roughleaf dogwood			Pipeline Trl
13.92	R	Cornus	drummondii	roughleaf dogwood			Pipeline Trl
13.921		Populus	deltoides	cottonwood		tilted	Pipeline Trl
13.922		Populus	deltoides	cottonwood			Pipeline Trl
13.923		Cornus	drummondii	roughleaf dogwood			Pipeline Trl
13.93	R	Pyrus	calleryana	Bradford pear			Pipeline Trl
13.94	R	Pyrus	calleryana	Bradford pear			Pipeline Trl
14		50 m post NE1
14	L	Quercus	stellata	post oak
14.1	R	Ulmus	rubra				broken but healthy
15	R	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	DEAD
xx 15.1	L	Juglans	nigra	walnut	DEAD
15.2	R	Sideroxylon	lanuginosum	chittamwood		20' W of #15	new fern spp. by tree
16	L	Ulmus	rubra	elm	OK, red/brown interior bark
16.1	R	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK
16.2	R	Sapindus	saponaria	soapberry
16.25	R	Sapindus	saponaria	soapberry	beneath big walnut
16.26	R	Sapindus	saponaria	soapberry	beneath big walnut, along Pipeline trail
16.3	L	Sapindus	saponaria	soapberry	50 CM SAPLING
16.4	R	Elaeagnus	angustifolia	Russian olive	shrub
17	L	Quercus	palustris	pin oak
18	R	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan
18.1	R	Callicarpa	americana	beautyberry shrub
18.2	R	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan
19		100 m post NE2			Cross trail to E side @ 300 m post
19	L	Quercus	marilandica	black jack oak	OK
19.1	L	Ulmus	alata?	winged elm?
20	L	Quercus	marilandica	black jack oak	OK
21	R	Ulmus	americana	elm	OK, gold bark interior
22	R	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	DEAD	stem resprouts @ 1-2 m die
22.1	R	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	OK, broken top
22.2	R	Morus		mulberry	OK	N of 2 chittamwood
23	R	Quercus	macrocarpa	bur oak	OK
24	R	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	DEAD
24.1	R	Sideroxylon	lanuginosum	chittamwood	35 ' west of trail at # 28
24.2	R	Sideroxylon	lanuginosum	chittamwood	35 ' west of trail at # 28
25	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	DEAD	#204
26	L	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK
27	L	Morus	alba	mulberry	OK, stem burls like maple
xx 27.1	L	Fraxinus	pennsylvanica	green ash	DEAD
28	R	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	OK
28.1	L	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	OK
29	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	OK
29.1	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	OK
30	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	OK
31	L	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	OK
32	L	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon	OK
32.1	L	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon	DEAD
33	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	golden bark
34	L	Diospyros	virginiana	persimmon	DEAD	(dead late 2012)
34		150 m post NE3
35	L	Quercus	palustris	pin oak	OK
35.1	R	Elaeagnus	angustifolia		shrub
35.2	R	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan		no lvs; maybe dead; short sapling
35.3	R	Morus	rubra	mulberry, red	25' W	down slope	bud scales dark on edges, leaves downy, hairy beneath
36	R	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry
36.1	L	Sapindus	saponaria var. drummondii	soapberry	1 m tall sapling; lf buds breaking
37	L	xx Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY coffeetree	DEAD
38	R	Ulmus	rubra	elm	OK
39	R	Juglans	nigra	walnut	DEAD 5/2016
40	L	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree	OK
41	R	Morus	alba	white mulberry	OK
42	L	Cercis	canadensis	redbud	2-3 tall stump sprouts live, old main bole dead
42.5	R	Viburnum	rufidulum	rusty blackhaw		small 4 m tree; 70' S on trail from Loop & 20' downslope on R of trail
42		200 m post NE4
43	L	Ulmus			DEAD
44	L	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK
44.1	R	Morus	alba	white mulberry	OK
45	R	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	OK
46	L	Ligustrum	spp.	privet	shrub	smashed and cut in ice storm; no top
47	R	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree	OK
47.1	R	Sapindus	saponaria var. drummondii	soapberry	OK
48	R	Sapindus	saponaria var. drummondii	soapberry	OK
49	L	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	OK	1 m tall
50	L	xx Cercis	canadensis	redbud	DEAD; broken
50.1	R	Sapindus	saponaria var. drummondii	soapberry	OK
51	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	OK
52	R	Juglans	nigra	walnut	OK
53	L	Prunus	mexicanus	plum	OK
54	L	xx Ulmus	rubra	elm	DEAD
55	L	Morus	alba	white mulberry	OK
56	L	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree	OK	BIG
57	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	dying, no live crown, only a few live branches at base.
58	R	Ulmus	americana	elm
58		250 m post TL3
59	R	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry
60	R	Ulmus	americana	elm	OK
61	R	Juglans	nigra	walnut	DEAD
62	L	Ulmus	americana	elm	OK	longer ways north by bend in trail
63	L	Quercus	macrocarpa	bur oak	OK
64	L	Quercus	macrocarpa	bur oak
65	R	Ulmus	rubra	elm		not healthy
65		300 m post TL2			Cross trail to W side @ 100 m post
66	L	Juglans	nigra	walnut	DEAD	20' W
66.1	L	Sideroxylon	lanuginosum			50' NW of #66 on cross trail
67	R	Cercis	canadensis	redbud
68	R	Acer	negundo	boxelder
69	L	Quercus	macrocarpa	bur oak		bent over
69.1	R	Morus	rubra	mulberry, red
70	L	Elaeagnus	angustifolia	Russian olive	shrub
71	L	Ligustrum	spp.	privet	shrub
72	R	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree	OK
73	L	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree	OK
73.1	L	Sapindus	saponaria var. drummondii	soapberry
74	R	xx Ulmus	americana	elm	DEAD
75	R	Cercis	canadensis	redbud	dead-ish; w/ stump sprouts 2'
76	L	Juglans	nigra	walnut	OK
77	L	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK
78	R	Cercis	canadensis	redbud	live top; thin, unhealthy crown
79	R	Quercus	palustris	Pin Oak
80	L	Cercis	canadensis	redbud
81	L	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree	OK
82	L	Juglans	nigra	walnut	OK
83	L	Cercis	canadensis	redbud
84	L	Gymnocladus	dioicus	KY Coffeetree
85	L	Juglans	nigra	walnut	DEAD
85		350 m post TL1		GOPHER BURROWS
86	R	Cercis	canadensis	redbud	OK
87	L	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK
88	R	Quercus	palustris	Pin Oak	OK
89	L	Carya	texana	black hickory	OK
89.1	L	Carya	illinoinensis	pecan	OK
90	R	Cercis	canadensis	redbud	DEAD
91	R	Juniperus	virginiana	eastern redcedar	OK
		large healthy walnut here if needed
92	L	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK
93	R	Cercis	canadensis	redbud	OK
94	R	Celtis	laevigata	hackberry	OK	cluster of 4-5 stems
95	R	Pyrus		pear	OK	25' NE
96	R	Pyrus	calleryana	Bradford pear	OK	1 m tall, near gate
TOTALS		NUMBERED PLANTS BEING MONITORED
	4	Acer	negundo		boxelder
	1	Albizia			mimosa
	2	Callicarpa	americana		beautyberry (shrub)
	8	Carya	illinoinensis		pecan
	5	Carya	texana		black hickory
	9	Celtis	laevigata/ laevigatum		sugarberry/ hackberry
	8	Cercis	canadensis		redbud
	3	Cornus	drummondii		roughleaf dogwood
	6	Diospyros	virginiana		persimmon
		Elaeagnus	angustifolia		Russian olive (shrub)
	3	Fraxinus	pennsylvanica		green ash
	8	Gymnocladus	dioicus		Kentucky coffee tree
	7	Juglans	nigra		walnut
	1	Juniperus	virginiana		juniper
	2	Ligustrum	spp.		privet (shrub)
	5	Morus	alba		mulberry
	3	Morus	rubra		mulberry
	3	Populus	deltoides		cottonwood
	7	Prunus	mexicanus		plum
	1	Pyrus	sp.		pear
	3	Pyrus	calleryana		Bradford pear
	7	Quercus	macrocarpa		bur oak
	2	Quercus	marilandica		blackjack oak
	6	Quercus	palustris		pin oak
	1	Quercus	stellata		post oak
	4	Robinia	pseudoacacia		black locust
	9	Sapindus	saponaria		soapberry
	5	Sideroxylon	lanuginosa		chittamwood/ bumelia
	11	Ulmus	americana		American elm
	5	Ulmus	rubra		slippery elm
	1	Viburnum	rufidulum		rusty blackhaw
	~140	Live trees May 2016 ~ 29 spp.

Do Cottonwoods Annoy Spiders?

I wonder if orb weaver spiders have a more difficult time when cottonwoods are shedding their seed. The webs catch the cotton and either have to be cleaned up by the spider, or risk being too visible to their intended prey.

Along the Wash, I heard the rattling cry of the kingfisher again. The water churned down by the Elm Bridge from lots of something - tadpoles? I have not heard the leopard frogs in the Woods this spring, I have often heard in previous springs. 

Any hungry dragonflies can find a nice meal down in Oliver’s Woods today. The mosquitoes have returned in force. I entered the Woods by the NW Pond and picked up a cloud of arthropod friends who stayed with me for a half hour and finally convinced me to leave early. Ecologically thinking, the mosquitoes and ticks may be sort of champions and defenders of the Woods. The more of them, the less likely that humans will venture in there, or stay long.

Nice bee mimic robber fly perching on the down snag at the vibe bower. One box turtle was along the trail by the big watch tree southwest off the levee. Several red-eared sliders were basking on the floating logs in the NW pond. Along the E-W Trail more catalpa blossoms have fallen. Not very much in bloom in the Woods now; but the under story box elder and other perennials are growing fast.

Magic Turtles

Headed out to the Woods, the NW Trail, around 10, planning to clear most of the northwest trails of overgrowth. The Lonicera Japanese honeysuckle along the fence line was in full, sweet fragrant bloom. I'll have to watch to see who is pollinating.
I was met as I entered the Woods by a box turtle on the uphill slope 2m above the trail.
Trail sides were all very green with rapidly growing Cornus dogwood, Acer negundo box elder and a few others. At the NW Pond, north stepping stones, all was quiet. Nothing stirring the water. Heavy rain Friday night brought down many of the white and spotted catalpa blossoms. Cotton from the big cottonwood was floating down. The saturated ground looked to be a good germination bed. Perhaps now there will be hundreds of young cottonwoods.
Light honey brown 2-3 cm tall mushrooms are the most common. I cleared away overhanging branches and one box elder pinned across the trail by the fall of a big pecan snag. Water was flowing past Isld Crosssing but it was low enough for crossing.
On the return exit walk I was amazed to see not the one red-eared slider I hoped would be out basking, but seven of the same (or maybe eight), all sizes. One really large next to a smaller teacup size one. Where have these turtles been?
Parasitology student says they caught crayfish in the NW pond last few weeks.
By the north stepping stones to the NW Pond, there was a partial carcass.  Looked like a possum. Jaw bones and teeth were there and tail. Green bottle calliphorid flies, a couple of the big black staphylinid rove beetle Creophilus, several sepsid(?) small flies with semaphore wings were having a picnic. I saw one plump maggot scooting away. Diving beetles and young gerid at the East Pond..but on balance, few insects evident anywhere - no mosquitoes.

Kingfisher and Rattlesnake Fern

Strong storm Friday evening brought heavy 1.1 inch rain to Norman. I packed my swing blade Saturday morning to trim some of the abundant trail side vegetation. Just in from the NE Gate, I was greeted by a box turtle on the trail by tree #14, out enjoying the damp morning. I ended up trimming all the Tree Loop and most of the northeast trails. The grasses, Symphoricarpos deerbrush, understory box elder and Elephantopus elephant's foot were really taking off. I think this was a good strategic time to trim. I hope the timing will keep the trails from becoming too overgrown.
I try to favor (not cut) the low Parthenocissus Virginia creeper. I also try to keep vegetation in place that looks like it may help prevent erosion. Luckily, this is not much of a problem in the Woods.
Clearing along the levee trail south of Island Crossing, I was delighted to spot a new fern species, Botrychium rattlesnake fern. I found this in August 2014, but had never been able to locate it again. There were three sporophytes widely spaced, 10 and 40 feet apart. I have never seen this anywhere else in the Woods. The only other fern I know there is Asplenium ebony spleenwort.
The water was quite high in the Wash.  (Could not cross Isld Crossing. Elm Bridge was OK). Standing by the ferns, I heard and saw a kingfisher zooming up along the Wash with its distinctive rattling call.
I watched a bumblebee foraging on some late Ligustrum privet blooms. Most of this bloom is finished, but there are still little patches of privet's sweet fragrance remaining in the Woods.
The East pond is filled as high as I've seen.. 2.6 ft in depth.
The Woods had a fine smell of wet soil, of humus and rapidly growing plants.