Turtles, Herons, Green Tigers, Old Skulls, Oh my.

Beautiful Sunday morning, I went to the Woods via the NW Entrance about 9:30. Sweet, welcoming perfume with new yellow and white Japanese honeysuckle flowers at the entrance.
The green woods have grown a lot in the past week.
Box elder leafy twigs, fresh greenbrier tendrils, multiflora rose and all the young trail-side trees, pecans, coffee tree, soapberry, sugarberry, walnut, viburnum, dogwood and many others all had extended fresh new growth out into the trail.
Approaching the NW Pond, I was happy to see the yellow-crowned night heron again, resting still-as-a-statue where the new diatoms were found. The pond still continues to the western wetland, closer to Chautauqua, and provides shade & cover for birds to rest. Water level is down some, but it's still good and full.
At East Pond there was so much disturbance/ digging/ tracks in the east end wet mud, I wondered if hogs had gotten into the Woods. More likely coyotes, armadillos and maybe some turtles.
I spotted two box turtles, one at the east end of East Pond, and one on the west side of the gully west of Elm Bridge. Wonder if either are older than me. Lots of soft green new vegetation for turtles to eat today.
Northeast of Elm Bridge I noticed a half dozen black ants (size of small Camponotus carpenter ants) guarding and collecting honey dew from a small patch of aphids on a box elder. Then I saw that they were all over the apical leafy twigs of the six foot tall tree. Larger soldiers were trundling up the stem of the tree too. Something I did startled the six ants I noticed first, and they all jumped into hyperactivity running up and down, searching every corner of each leaf and twig in their four or five inch patch, looking for threats to attack. Looked like someone had produced an alarm pheromone with instant effect. Reminded me of Janzen's acacia ants; but these ants were benefiting only the aphids, at a cost to the box elder. Might be fun to do some studies.
On the East West trail, in a splash of sunlight, there was a flash of emerald, a brilliant green Cicindela sexguttata tiger beetle. As the beetle ran along the trail, a bright yellow and black, bee mimic  assassin / robber fly Laphria zoomed off its sunny perch. I found only one spider web across the trail. I wonder if strong winds past two days had an effect?
All along the trails -  dry and wet - there was substantial digging, like something a dog or coyote would do, small 3-5 inch deep excavations.
At the twin trunk big pecan west of Hackberry Alley, there was an old deer skull with one forked antler attached, someone had brought there to chew. Had some green algae growing in one spot. It had been laying somewhere in the forest for a while. I didn't see or hear any deer, although there were plenty of tracks, and I didn't walk the southern trails down by Beaver Dam (where there is still water). I wonder if coyotes denning in the Woods would mean fewer deer; or if the deer have so much to eat everywhere they don't need to come to the Woods for dinner.
On the Tree Loop a murder of crows was raucously harassing something. I couldn't tell if it was the barred owl or a red-shouldered hawk.
Only showy flowers were the tall white daisies in a couple of locations, although hundreds of Avens Geum were pushing out greenish flowers, before making more burs for my socks. Note to self: bring knee boots to avoid ruining socks for next few weeks.
Brought home a half dozen ticks (that I found). A few mosquitoes buzzing at the NW Pond, but hardly worth mentioning. The Woods are full of life and growth. A marvelous place today.

Turtle Morning after Big Rain

2.35 inches of rain Wed/Thur this week. I walked the NE Tree Loop in the Woods at 10:30 on a beautiful Saturday morning. The Woods may be most alive now. Understory box elders have flushed out full new leaves, still fresh. The multi-flora rose is blooming white. Spiders are just beginning to weave webs. Only a few across any of the trails. My sentries were a couple of crows announcing my progress as I walked along. Nothing alarming, just a two syllable call. At Elm Bridge there was a school of maybe twenty to thirty 1.5 inch-long minnows/ guppies or similar. One yellow-white gold fish? schooled with the minnows. Someone must have introduced the fish.. maybe to eat mosquito larvae? In the upstream pool I watched through binoculars as something fairly large and submerged, disturbed the water over and over. Maybe a red-eared slider feeding? Never could spot it, but it moved fairly quickly and was fairly large (bull frog? turtle? water snake? Loch Oliver monster?).
I encountered three box turtles along the trail: one by the largest old (dead) walnut along the Tree Loop; one about 40 ft north of the leaning big Cottonwood with Carpenter's survey post; one on the east side of Island Crossing top of the bank (small/ young). There was also a red-eared slider basking on a floating log south side of the NW Pond.
The big broken hanging elm is re-greened by luxuriant growth of Parthenocissus, Virginia Creeper, up in the sunlight, sharing the crown with wild grape.
Twenty feet south of Fence Corner, along the trail there was a mystery vine.. large well-grown. Whitish bark, rounded leaves with a tip.
The ponds were well-filled: East Pond at 2.35 ft and NW Pond at 2.5 ft. Blooming flowers other than the rose - just white and yellow daisies. Did not see deer today. Good 'greens' for them everywhere.
   
 Several earlier days in the Woods with cool temps over the past two weeks. One midday entering via the NW Pond I heard an ambulance siren moving W along Hwy 9. It was answered by coyotes (maybe two or more) nearby top of hill above the East Pond. Leaving the Woods an hour later there was another ambulance and again the same answer from coyotes. Most days this fortnight, I see 3-5 white-tailed deer.
Began a new informal cross trail from Hackberry Alley over to south side of the Big Tree Grove. I like it. Just marked with 2-3 flags of blue tape. Great over-mature clump of white and brown agaric mushrooms there, looked like Coprinus almost. Week earlier I enjoyed finding fresh big oyster mushrooms and having a bite.

Blustery Spring Cold and Night Heron Return

Saturday morning after a windy day and night, a not-quite frosty cold has returned. I returned to the Woods through the NE Gate to see what was happening. The Tree Loop was in good shape and other trails had no down trees, only smaller branches. The yellow-crowned night heron (one at least) had returned to the NW Pond and was warming in the morning sun in its favorite SW corner. The Main SW trail has finally dried all the way through the Beaver Dam. Soil is sodden just, short of muddy but no standing water there. Good to avoid mosquito development.
Along the Northern Loop all four of the invasive Ailanthus tree of heaven saplings had early leaves dead and hanging from the cold 25 F a few days ago. Bradford pear leaves on Pipeline Trail also seem to have had some (less) damage. Young, just emerging leaves of pin oaks also look damaged.

On the forest floor, the green is spreading.. Polygonum pink lady's thumb and Elephantopus elephant's foot's larger green leaves are common. Understory box elder are opening small leaves. The green closing-in of the forest is beginning.. slowly. No deer to be seen, but good population of robins foraging. There were many symphonies of songs and squeaks in the trees with the wind this morning. Many leaning trees dead or live with the strong winds produce a chorus of many voices in the Woods. New trail from Hackberry Alley to Big Tree Grove, blue flagged.

Cold snap and mallards

Friday and Saturday, temperature steadily dropped strongly to 25 F, a killing cold snap for many plants with brand new young leaves. The 4 stems of Ailanthus tree of heaven had some of the earliest leaves. Sunday afternoon the upright young leaves were turning from spring green to dark green to black. Good news, helps to keep this invasive in check.
No sign of the pair of yellow crowned night herons; but in their place there was a pair of mallards. It would be nice if someone nests on the NW pond.
Ponds are nicely filled. The NW Pond at 2.48' in depth and the Eastern at 2.08' The East Pond has a significant accumulation of flotsam. Flotsam in the west of the NW Pond too. Rafts of floating (decomposing?) algae. I'd like to know what species are in there.
Warblers and other small woodland birds active. Saw first Morchella of the year, blonde brown in color. Deer herd of 13 a few days ago. Good mix of older protective animals, 1-2 year olds and several new. No spotted fawns. They ran from me, but not far. Stopped and watched me as I sang to them. Largest group I've seen in years(?) there. Silver tassels of box elder are all opening, hanging, bedecking their branch tips. The Woods are bursting with new spring life. From the forest floor to tips of shrubs to tops of trees, green-up is beginning.

Spring Seesaw Yellow Crowned Night Herons

After a week of soft warm spring days that brought out a full bloom of Missouri violets Viola sororia across the eastern and northern Woods, the temp dropped April Fools Day/ Easter to a high of 49. Chilly late afternoon, I walked in via the NW Pond and found a pair of yellow-crowned night herons quietly waiting for their dinner to swim by, along the shallow shore. Half way along the North South trail, I disturbed a barred owl who flew soundlessly a short distance northwest. Overhead, east of the N-S trail, the red shouldered hawk flew in circles. By the Beaver Dam, chickadees, titmice and cardinals were busy foraging. It is a mystery to me how small birds can survive and find enough food on chilly days.

The jet stream relented and we enjoyed more soft warms days. I planted my garden tomatoes. Then noon Friday the cold returned. This morning we woke to ice on the ground and dry bits of snow falling. A return to the Woods provided a second glimpse of the yellow-crowned night heron; but not much else moving. Violets all closed to survive the 25 F. Now blue skies and warm sun.

Early Butterflies in the Woods

Last day of March and first Tiger swallowtail floated low in front of me by Elm Bridge. A day of warm soft spring clouds. Northeastern Tree Loop both a bright orange Goatweed leafwing butterfly and a dainty sulphur were flitting close to the ground in the sunny patch where the native thistle grows. Green growing swiftly. Honeysuckle greening up on the floor of the Woods, box elder leaves opening in the understory. When their leaves are fully flushed the Woods will be transformed from the open winter/ early spring. The small white flowers of Cardamine/ Dentaria bittercress were open at Beaver Dam. Red buds are in full bloom now. On the spring roadsides bright yellow dandelions are abundant. The first reddish-purple flowers of Erodium storksbill are showing. Single red-shouldered hawk calling and calling in the highest branches of its nest tree cottonwood.

Violet Woods

After a few days of cool gentle rain, the Woods are full of blooming violets along the low eastern trails. Island Crossing has dozens of violets blooming.
We've had about two thirds of an inch of rain - much needed- and it came as intermittent soft showers.. generating relatively little runoff. Great for the plants. Though the Wash is nearly full, there is no flow past Island Crossing (dry bed). The water is backed up from Beaver Dam a couple hundred yards into the Woods but not deep.
Walking east along the NW Trail at 6 PM there was a light sweet smell at the catalpa cluster.. an Eleaegnus autumn olive was just beginning to open flowers 40 feet away. Light down slope winds of the early evening were carrying the faint lemony sweet scent.
Passing the NW pond, it is full and brimming over into the swamp west and south towards Chautauqua. The sedges have all put out fresh green growth and looked very springish under a light blue sky. I watched a large titmouse gleaning and cleaning its beak on trees near the hanging feeder. Three does jogged to stay a little east of me. Two seemed large like they might be carrying fawns. I don't know when fawns here are born..probably about now. The other henbit Lamium purpureum was flowering and leaves of pink ladies thumb with its distinctive pink mark were appearing. The ponds were full @ 2.48 feet (NW Pond) and 2.2 feet (E Pond). As I was almost leaving the Woods, I heard a light rustle up top of the slope above NW Pond foot stones. Large Armadillo moving slowly upslope foraging... funny small ears and large armored body. I watched for a while with binoculars and enjoyed its busy foraging.