Observation #8

5/28/08

Time: 7:00

Temperature: 50 degrees

Soil Moisture: wet

last observation and not much as changed from yesterday. There are less clouds in the sky, and things have dried up more. the insects seem to be coming out alot more than they have in previous observations. There were still allot of robins every were and iv sen many worms that they are probably feeding on. I find the changes from this observation to my first interesting in many ways. The biodiversity has gone up much more. Everything's ALOT greener and alive. There are allot more community around then before. I saw another pelican, but it could have been the same one as yesterday. This summer is going to be much greener than the many previous summers.

Observation #7

5/27/08

Temp: 54 degrees

Time: 6:00 pm

Weather: cloudy

Soil moisture: a little less than last time but still vary wet.

It is just seeming to give up on the whole raining business, but it is still any ones guess. The birds are back and i have noticed many species that my mom was so kind to point out. these would include, lazuli buntings, Western tanager, black-headed grosbeak, read winged blackbird, and the common grackle. A part of the path near the river has totally given way and a new one is being formed through the trees this is great evidence of human impact on the area. I also was walking back and saw what i thought looked like a small mallard duck run out of some cat tails. when i was following it for closer inspection i found its nest. in the nest i could see three small blue eggs. the mother was no were in sight however and that makes me wonder. Everything is still extremely wet, and the plants are all lively and green. The trees seem to be ever more "budding out" for lack of a better term. My lawn was also vary difficult to cut and much thicker and greener than it was last year. I also saw my first pelican of the year so i assume that more will follow shortly.

MLA bizz

Mathews, Daniel. Rocky Mountain Natural History. Portland Oregon: Raven Editons, 2003.
“Pica hudsonia” Cornell lab of Ornithology. 2003. Cornell University. 5/20/08 (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Black-billed_Magpie.html)
Bna.birds.cornell.edu. 2005. Cornell University. 5/22/08. [http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/389/articles/introduction]
Pica hudsonia. 5/22/08 http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/images/Photos/picapica.jpg
Quaking Aspen 5/26/08 http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Autumn-foliage-and-tree-trunks-of-quaking-aspen-trees-in-the-Crested-Butte-area-of-Colorado-Posters_i1016400_.htm

Observation #6

5/22/08

Time: 5:30

Weather: It has rained all day and the clouds seem to be holding more.

Soil mosture: Vary wet. I'd call it mud.

Temp: 40 degrees

The storm that I mentioned in my last observation was FAT!!!!! The rain has increased the river level and the puddles in the feild outside of my studdy area. The rain has been consistant sense last evening and isn't showing any singhs of letting up. Winds from the storm blew bown several branches and they now are cluttering my observation area. I can also see branches traveling down the creek so I can deduse that this phenamina was not isolated to my area. There are more of those previosly mentioned posibal seed pods on the ground as well. strangly i haven't seen any birds this time but a cuppel of robins, and I dont have any guesses as to why.

Also I haven't seen a single person outside and thats probably due to the not so plesant weather. I wonder if the birds are doing the same?

Observation #5

Time: 6:00


Temp: 50 degrees.


Soil moisture: very wet.


Weather: Cloudy with a larger cloud mass moving in.


The River level is the highest I've ever seem it. Judging by the color and size of the clouds that are moving in I would guess that this could be a fairly large storm. This should only raise the river level even more. That should be vary interesting because the Field that I have to cross to get here was flooded and I'm guessing that my craw space could be flooded as well. On the plus side all the plants are green and lively. Also there are allot of robins around I'm guessing that this is because the worms are coming out. This represent Intra specific competition between the robins competing for the worms. the worms also have a few interesting anti predator adaptations. they emit a slippery slime that makes it hare for their predators to catch them. And if that doesn't work they can live even after being cut in half. These are both truly unique anti predator adaptations and really do make the plain old ordinary worm that you see in the ground much more fascinating. They also play a very large and important roll in the food chain as decomposers. They break down nutrients in the soil. Any ways like i previously mention everything is much greener and much more alive. the willow trees that are so abundant around my area are dropping little fuzzy pods that could be seeds but i don't know why they would do that this time of the year.

Observation #4

Date: 5/15/08
Time: 7:00
Temp: 60 degrees
Weather: The sun is setting on a mostly clear sky
Soil Moisture: just about the same as last time slightly moist
when I got to my site there was a person walking there dog and it was chasing a mouse, confirming my previous hypothesis that they were living under the low bushes that grow wherever the willows don't. I bet i has to do with the amount of sun light that the willows would block out. I also noticed that there were two large populations of birds. One is small and brown and the other is a little larger than the others and are black and white but I'm positive they are not magpies. I can not admit to seeing any sort of competition between the two but maybe it will become an issue in the future. I can still notice that ecosystem of my area is changing with the new populations of birds and steadily greening vegetation. I didn't get around to checking out the site of the dead moose, but ill try to do it next time. I did think aboot it more and the survival needs of the moose must not have been met (hence the reason why he did not survive) but it was winter and food must have been much harder to come by. the same would go with shelter and water. Judging by the size it was also probably one of two years old and winter would have been tougher for him than his mother.

Observation #3

5/12/08

Weather: sunny, with a slight breeze.

Temp: 56 degrees

Time: 5:30

General: I have seen a few new animals in my area, including a mallard duck and some populations of smaller bird. There are signs of more animals in my area, biodiversity in this ecosystem is increasing. There is allot of trash now that the snow has melted. All that waste is definitely not good for wild life in the area. I also saw three more magpies. One was eating what looked like a piece of trash and the others were looking on with interest; they did not try to take it from him so I believe that there is enough food now for them not compete among each other. I have seen moose eating the willow trees in the winter and I found moose scat in my area. Once we found a dead moose in my area I wounder what the area were it was looks like now I think I will go look at it next time. Maybe there will be an increase in plant life, but then again maybe nothing has happened at all. The dead moose however is a kick "posterior" exampel of many ecological term. For starters it is a vary interesting example in the food chain. It contributes to the food chain by giving back nutrient's to the earth. It is also a great source of food for any scavenging animals. They will find it as an extreamly easy sorce of food mainly becaus there is no energy lost in a hunt or scrowngin for it and it is abundant because... well mosse are pritty big. This moose is also a great example of

Observation #2 5/11/08

Time: 3:00

Weather: Sunny with clouds moving in and a slight breeze.

Soil Moisture: damp

General: There are noticeably more birds from the last observation. The creek level has also rising and that could effect the amount of erosion on the river bank. The grass has gotten much greener, which could also be because of the resent water level rising. I have observed three magpies in my habitat. they seemed to be competing over some bug hiding in the grass (the spiders seem likely). They were fighting showing intra specific competition. The interaction between the predators (magpies) and the prey (spiders) is the first I have observed in my location. The willow trees are growing buds, I don't know when their supposed to bloom but i don't think it'll be to soon. the rest of the plant life seems to be getting greener as well. There are little bushes witch provided good habitat for mice I'm guessing cause I hear them rustling in the grass when I walk by. I saw a nest in the a willow tree. I'm no expert on nests but if I had to buid one i would think that a willow would be one of the easier trees to build one in due to the abundance of branches to use as supports

Observation #1

5/8/08

Location: Flat Creek in Rafter J.
Community:
Temp: 57 degrees
Tree coverage: Moderate
A-Biotic: water, rocks
Biotic: Birds, Mosquito's, Dogs, Fish, willow trees, grass (mostly dry and dead)
Size of site: 50 yd
Weather: Overcast and slightly chilly
Soil Moisture: Still wet from resent rain

General: The air seems humid and with the over cast conditions I predict late evening showers. There is a bird head laying in the middle of the trail. I'm Guessing that it was done by a dog. There is evidence of erosion on the sides of the creek. It is still vary dry regardless of snow melt. The grass is dead and is providing a good habitat for small black spiders. I think i can hear some mice running around under dense low bushes. My location seems to provide a habitat for many species making it vary biodiverse. there are multiple populations of plant life, ranging from small grasses to willow trees. The birds are making notably making a lot of noise. This could mean mating season for them.