Week 10. Final Reflection

6/11/2013, Tuesday. Post-rain, sunny with clouds. 67 degrees. 

Before, small spheres of water were falling from the sky.

It seems that the water in the sky has blown to the east.

Now the sun is shining on almost all the land here.

The surface of the water shines along the gentle wave crests.

Interrupting the shine are these round plants.

These green circles rest on the water in clusters.

There's not an isolated one.

Sometimes they appear to be covered by a gentle wave,

But they always reemerge on the top showing off their greenness.

They are about as large as my open hand, stretched out.

Some are slightly larger.

Some are slightly smaller.

The circle gently float along the shoreline.

Bathing in the sunlight.

A giant beast flies out of the brush.

It stretches out its wings, which I can tell are larger than my arms.

It flies about 10 meters high before dipping back down.

Then, suddenly, another just like the first emerges. 

The grayish-blue second beast follows the same flight pattern.

The first one makes a small loop before starting to fly west.

The second follows this pattern.

Originally, their necks were long, but they've tucked them for in for flight.

Now that both have completed the loop, they fly west together.

They are silent, despite being on of the largest beast in the sky.

This species swim slowly across the surface of the water.

If it wanted to, it could take to the skies., but for now it swims.

There are many, perhaps they are family or neighbors.

They are mostly brown with black and gray streaks.

Several have green heads. 

While most swim 10m out in the lake, 

Some swim in shallower waters.

One watches over the young along the shore as they feed.

This species is very communal.

In my 10 prior years in Seattle, I’d never taken the time to explore Union Bay Natural Area. I considered choosing a more familiar spot for my observation site, but I decided to try something new at the back at the beginning of the quarter. I don’t regret the choice at all. I feel like I could learned just as much about a more familiar park, such as Ravenna or Interlaken, but instead I had an opportunity to learn just as much about a foreign ecosystem. Being a rock-geek, I was less familiar with shoreline environments. By returning to UBNA week after week, I had was not only able to (personally) discover new species but to see how life changed in that little niche of Seattle. All always have a fond memory of the time I spent in that park and I plan on making time to return when I’m in the neighborhood.

Prior to this class, I’d only studied the geologic and human history of the Puget Sound region, never the natural history. Now I have a much better idea of the different native species to the area and how they coexist with on another. By taking this class,  I was able to get exposed to many species, learn their names, families, what kinds of environments they like, etc… but we only skimmed the surface. One of the things I learned from this class is every species has it’s own characteristics and way it relates with the outside world. There are so many things that could be extensively studied because of this, such as bubble bee populations in urban environments. This class also reinforced I belief I have that is: “humans need to be more in touch (literally & figuratively) with nature.” 

When I reflect on the Union Bay, I suppose if I were charitable, I could say I know my sit spot intimately. I think to know a natural spot intimately, you not only have to be able to identify the surrounding features within it by name, but you have to have some experiential memories with it. I wouldn’t say I know the natural Puget Sound region intimately. A professional naturalist could visit UBNA for the first time in her life and name every species as well as tell me more than I already know about them. But I have the advantage of having spent time within UBNA. I’ve sat in the rain and watched the grass grow. I’ve watched the shoreline change and mothers feed their ducklings. I’ve overturned logs and have hunted for mushrooms. I’ve seen Great Blue Heron’s land in the lake and listened to House Finches. I’ve watched and listened and sat in UBNA.

Week 8: The East Side

5/25 Saturday. Ellensburg, Sunny with clouds. 62 degrees.

Having a chance to get out of gray Seattle to the the warmer east side of the Cascades to observer the local phenology was a great opportunity. The day started early, but we had nearly reached our destination by 10am. At our first rest stop we were lucky enough to see a Red-Tailed Hawk riding a warm current to get some elevation. When we got to Yakima River Canyon just south of Ellensburg we saw a Great Blue Heron! I cheesy as it sounds, I was really excited to cross the foot bridge to enter the natural area.

Some musing I did about the geologic history. The dates were wrong.. (10-15mya)

The east side of the Cascades receives about 20in of rain/year. Because of this the vegetation is quite different. At Yakima Canyon I observed a lot of Sage Brush and Rabbit Brush; I noticed there was a pretty even distribution there. The identifiable difference between the two brushes is the Sage Brush has three little toes at the end of its leafs, whereas the Rabbit Brush as uninterrupted leafs. There’s also Antelope Brush, which has smaller, greener leafs, and is leaf frequent. Along with the brushes, I noticed more rushes mixed in the grassy areas. In a small meadow we found Sarah identified these pretty distinct flowers growing called Yellow Salsifies, which can be identified by their stems which remain cool despite the heat. We also found one cactus in the valley, which looked like the Fragile Prickly Pear from the National Audubon Society Guide., but it could be something else. Other vegetation in the canyon consisted of Nootka Roses and  Pondarosa Pines, which both grew closer to the river. It was cool to see some vegetation that grew on both the west and east sides.

Such a cool flower. Yellow Salsify, Tragopogon dubius  

This was the first cactus I've seen in WA. Could be the Fragile Prickly Pear,  Opuntia fragilis.

 As for the fauna at the canyon site, we did a lot of bird watching. One of the first birds we saw was a Black-Headed Gross Beak, which is orange, black, and white and has a intricate song. We also saw an American Goldfinch and a Lazuli bunting, which looks like a blue-headed sparrow. We spent a lot of time looking for Chats, which we could hear but not find. One eventually flew out, as if to display itself to us, then in less than a minute, dived back into the bushes; they’re so elusive! We managed to see a lot of Cedar Waxwing’s socializing in a dead tree by the river (over five). You could hear crickets the whole time, but they were hard to find in the shade of the bushes. There were quite a few of these small butterflies, which could be the Western Blue-Tail based on their size, location and season. Just before we left, Carter caught a Gardiner Snake which added to the diversity of species observed. 

The Lupine, very pretty. We have these in UBNA as well!

Our second stop was at the top of one a plateau, roughly 1000ft higher than the base of the canyon. The first thing I noticed was how moist the ground was. Everyone was tracking foot prints, it must’ve rained in the past two days. The top of the plateau had just as much Sage Brush but no trees. Some other shrubs in the area were the Lupine, Balsamroot, and Douglas Aster. There was Crustose Lichen on some of the bare rock and shrubs. I quickly noticed the Tent Caterpillar  outbreak and avoided the hives. I’m a slightly terrified of bugs and did not enjoy the outbreak in Seattle about ten years ago. The only bird my group saw at the site was a Sage Thatcher, but we did hear a California Quail which sounds really funny. Apparently the other group found a lizard...

Best shot of the waterfall that I got. I was impressed that the shrubs could grow on the cliffside. The rocks look like they've experienced quite a bit of freeze-thaw weathering.

Our final stop of the day was at the Columnar Basalt Waterfall. I was really excited to see the Basalt columns so I spent most of my time trailblazing to the end. Because we were hiking along a creek, the vegetation was not only more dense, but greener. There was about 100ft along where the trail went through a field of Nootka Roses. Most of the trees were Pondarosa Pines, but towards the end of the trail I noticed a couple of Douglas Firs. The waterfall was only about 30ft tall but fell into a small quarry shaped depression. I liked Tim’s suggestion that the bowl like shaped could’ve been formed by a fault. I spent my final moments at the end of the trail journaling about what I’d seen over the course of the day. It was long, but the east side is beautiful, which makes being outside quite enjoyable. Thanks for another great trip!

I like to sit on rocks and think about life!

Week 7: Fungus and more Birds

5/19 4pm. Weather: sunny with clouds. 63 degrees.

White hymenium is distinctive of the Artist's Bracket. It's not yet sporing.

This week we studied fungus in class so I’m supposed to look for fungus around UBNA. After looking around much of the park, I was only able to find one growth of fungus, which I identified as an Artist’s Bracket, Ganoderma applanatum. The  Bracket was on the east side of the park about 60ft south of the main trail in a wooded area. I three growths of it on a fallen log. At first it looked kind of foreign and ominous, but I quickly identified it because of the it’s unique shape and size. The one I found was roughly 20in wide. The white hymenium made the identification that much easier as well. After spending a few moments identifying the fungus, I’d developed slightly more appreciation for it, partially because of the layers it appeared to have, and partially because it was the only fungus I was able to find.

It hasn’t rained much over the past week and it’s starting to show. Although it drizzled a little on Saturday, and there was that crazy storm on Monday, the water in the ponds is lower. Some of the streams that the ponds into the lake are dry. When I went to the shoreline behind my spot to look for ducks, I noticed this green scum in the water. I think this might be caused by the landfill that UBNA is built over, but I imagine the lack of rain doesn’t help keep the water fresh. 

As I’ve mentioned previously the grass has grown considerably. I passed by the spot that we all practiced sketching in UBNA this week. The photo doesn’t really do it justice, but if we were to return to the same spot and sit in a circle, the grass would easily exceed our heads.

yuk... That doesn't look good for anyone

For the rest of my time in UBNA this week, I observed birds. From my spot, I saw the same Red Winged Blackbird that I’d mentioned in previous weeks that has a territory is the tree and cattails in front of me. I also noticed two Great Blue Herons that flew over Lake Washington towards a likely nest east of my spot. I saw a Song Sparrow close to the entrance of the park. I wasn’t able to identify it at the time because it was so far away, but I took a short video of it so I could match the call later. WARNING, the video is very quiet, so adjust volume accordingly before/after listing to it. Finally I watched these three Tree Swallows flying together very harmoniously. I noticed a lot of Nat swarms around the park, so they could’ve been hunting but it almost looked like they were playing. They were flying very fast so I couldn’t take a picture but I tried to sketch their shape. I’m not positive about the idea, but they were great flyers with dark backs and white chests, which fits the Tree Swallow description pretty well.

Supposed to be a Tree swallow in flight.

Well, that’s all for now. Til next time. 

Week 6: Sketches and Photos

Got a good picture of a Mallard tucking its bill into it's wing by the lake [WA] shore.

Nootka Roses are now in bloom at UNBA.

Fig. 1 A diagram of the Red-Winged Blackbird's territory. The RWBb flew back and forth three times while I was observing it.

Fig. 2 Three different birds I observed. Couldn't I identify the one in the left corner. The right corner is a Savannah Sparrow. The bottom is a diagram of a American Robin.

Fig. 3 The bird that supported itself on the cattail. (photo uploaded sideways)

Week 6, i think..: Birds

Date: 5/12/13, Sunday 

Time: 1PM.

Weather: Overcast

Temperature: 66F

It seems like most of the grass has grown since last week. Some of the grass is as tall as my shoulders (5ft). This week I’m supposed to observe birds. Here are some of the song/calls I can hear from my spot.

Song/Call	Likely Species	Relative Location
Zit zit zit zeee zaaay	Savannah Sparrow	Directly north (behind me) In Pacific Willow
Conk-a-ree, check check check	Red Winged Blackbird	Due south of the bench in the cattails and tree.
Jeer (descending)	House Finch	50(ish)yards to the west of me.

There’s this Red-Winged Blackbird, Ageluis phoenicues, that has a territory in this tree in the front of my spot. I haven’t properly identified the tree yet, He’s currently perched close to the center of the tree, possible for protection (see diagram). He occasionally let’s out his familiar song: “Conk-a-treee!” But he makes a lot of calls between his songs: “Check, chech, check!” I’ve noticed him leave his tree to fly to the cattails due east and the grassy area below, possibly for food our to establish his territory.

Diagram of the RWBb’s Territory fig.1

Then I did some sketching of birds. In the left corner, I believe I saw a bird?In the right corner I believe I saw a the Savannah Sparrow I mentioned earlier; picking at its’ wing. On the Bottom is a diagram of a American Robin’s flight style. fig.2

Next I accounted for this bird I took to be a House Finch

This bird has a red chest. like a robin but smaller. There are two now, probably a male and female on the same branch, singing in harmony. It looked like the red one (male) was sticking it’s beak into the females mouth.

As I was walking along the path I noticed this small (4in) bird with brown stripes. It would jog along the path in front of me then fly a further distance ahead if I got too close. This went on for about 20 yards. 

As I walked to a different southwest side of UBNA I heard all of these bird calls from the cattails. I could tell where the nest was from the commotion but could not see it. Then I saw this little guy holding himself to the side of a cattail. fig.3

On my way out of the park, heading towards the soccer field, I saw a Yellow Warbler. I suspected it to be the same Warbler I saw in a location nearby on Tuesday with the class, but I could be wrong. I was kind of a muggy day. I thought I saw a turtle in one of the ponds today but the splash could have been from a duck.

Week 5: Invertebrates

I decided to try something a little different this week and upload my journal directly. I tried to put a little more effort into the layout and the legibility of my handwriting. Enjoy the old-school!

Week 4: Olympic Peninsula, Day 2

4/28. Overcast with light showers. 47 degrees.

The second day started very early for my standards. After a night of light sleep, I woke up around 6:30 and proceeded to wander down to Lake Crescent before breakfast. I took a moment to stand on the shore, take in the tranquility, and reflect on the activities of the past day. The Mule Deer were taking advantage of the quite to graze on the lawn of Naturebridge. The pines and leaves of the Douglas Firs, Madrones, and Western Hemlocks were rustling in the wind behind me. It was very peaceful, I was reminded that I have a lot to be grateful for.

After breakfast, I took advantage of the hour of free time to hike to Merymere Falls with some classmates. We were in a hurry so we didn’t spend too much time identifying species, but I noticed a grove of Devil’s Clubs by the Barnes Creek. After taking a moment at the falls and a moment watching a woodpecker on Cedar, we returned to Naturebridge.

We left Naturebridge for the inner tidal zone of the Straight of Juan de Fuca at Salt Creek Recreation area. I know less about tidal zones but thanks to the guest lecture by Bob Paine, I had a better idea of what to expect. The tidal zone was an ecosystem with a different kind of complexity based on the elements like: 1) competition, 2) predation, 3)symbiosis, and 4) disturbance. The tide was especially low at the point cause of the full moon and there were lots of other beach walkers out for the weekend. On our way down to the pools, we noticed two Bald Eagles which was a treat. Once at the pools the first element I noticed was competition. The were California Mussels, Blue Mussels, Pacific Goose Barnacles and Dall’s Acorn Barnacles all competing for rock space. Usually a population would dominate an area of rock, but were two populations met the was a mix competing for space. Covering the other areas of rock was a mixture of Winged Kelp, Bull Kelp, and Pacific Rockweed to name a few types of algae. Needless to say, this abundance of life made it difficult to walk across the uneven rock and boulders. If you turned over almost any large rock, you could see Purple Shore Crabs and tiny Hermit Crabs scampering away. I noticed a few Lined Chiton on some of the rocks sucking the algae off. Of course, a lot of the disturbance in this environment comes from the tides and force of the ocean bearing down on the shore. Besides the birds, I the only signs of predation I saw came was from the starfish. I saw three different kinds of starfish, a tiny variety (less than 2in across), the Sunflower Star, and some Ochre Sea Star. Robbie, Claire and I found an Ochre eating a mussel for lunch, which reminded us it was about time to eat lunch ourselves. 

We manage to fit almost the entire class on one rock for lunch, maybe we learned from the tidal zone about sharing a small area of space. Just before leaving for the Elwha, the sun came out and we almost saw a whale, which might’ve been worth it for the laughs. I was particularly excited to see the Elwha in person because it was one of the locations I went the last time I was on the peninsula. Once we got to the river, we hiked a short distance for a good viewing point. Part of the problem with the dam removal was it unleashed an extremely, unnaturally large sediment load that had accumulated in the dammed lake. The sediment had washed down the Elwha making it impossible for Salmon to swim upstream to lay eggs (salmon need a specific  rock size, larger than sand). Ideally though, by the end of the decade, most of the sediment will have washed out to the Straight of Juan de Fuca and the salmon populations can return in greater numbers, given the longer river. The land once under-lake water is already starting to revegetate, the grasses have already come in, I suspect the Alders will be next. It’ll be interesting to track how the forest changes with the addition nutrients that the salmon will provide it.

After leaving the Elwha, we made one more stop on Hurricane Ridge before heading to the ferry. Unfortunately, there was weather so we didn’t have any panoramic views, but we had a chance to see an old-growth forest existing at a higher elevation on a steep slope. The forest didn’t appear as old because the soil wasn’t as nutritious with an underlying layer of basalt and the slope didn’t help development. After looking for some Silver Firs, we headed out for the Kingston ferry, ha. I had a great time on this Week 4 Field Trip. I know I always appreciate nature after spending some time out in it, though, a healthy balance of indoor time doesn’t hurt. This trip was a breath of fresh air and I’m glad I got a chance to connect with my other classmates. Can’t wait for the east Cascades trip!