Observation #8

Site: Cottonwood Ranch

Time: 6:15am

Weather: Sunny, cool, damp, no wind to speak of. 45 degrees F

Date: 5/29/08

Notes: For my last observation I arrived quite early at my site. It is a lot sunnier than the last morning visit. The common Grackles were doing their thing, picking up sticks and worms and such. I wonder if they work on their nests all year round or just during the time when they have little grackles. The water is still running fluidly through the irrigation ditch. I began thinking about the algae, I think it I a type of decomposer. I am just not so sure of what it is they can decompose while they are in the water. The morning dew was on the very green plants situated around the irrigation ditch. This also indicates that the soil is still rich. I wonder if it ever really gets dry, during the summer, I think the fact that the irrigation ditch has anything to do with the mount of moister being distributed. I have reached the conclusion that bugs aren’t active during the morning, or at least not as they are during the afternoon. I think it might have to do something with the temperature. Otherwise, everything was the same and no luck seeing a mammal I was kind of disappointed.

Observation #7

Site: Cottonwood Ranch

Time: 6:54 pm

Weather: Windy, partly cloudy, close to raining

Date: 5/27/08

Notes: Today I noticed differences with the water. It was not only running a tad faster than before, but it was in some parts still. It kind of contradicts itself but I think it is the positioning of the ditch that determines how the water runs. In the parts where it was relatively slow, algae was growing. Very faint but none the less it was there. I am not positive how it grows, but I know that it provides food for insects, a covering for the organisms under the water, and nutrients for the cottonwoods that live nearby. I think if the ditch is slightly downhill the water might run faster, but if it is pointed up hill it is harder for the water to travel against gravity causing a slower flow. Other than the water not much changed. The soil is still moist from all the rain we have been getting. And the birds are still very active. I haven’t been able to any small animals since the first day.

Work Cited

Animal Diversity Web. Interagency Education Research Initiative, the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. May 19,2008. [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Vulpes_vulpes.html]

Colorado State University. December 27, 2007. Denver County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener. May 21, 2008. [http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/Trees/cotton.htm]

Great Plains Nature Center. State of Kansas - Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). May 21, 2008. [http://www.gpnc.org/cottonwood.htm]

National Geographic. May 2008. National Geographic Society. May 18, 2008. [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-fox.html]

Nature Works. 2008. New Hampshire public television. May 18. 2008. [http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/redfox.htm]


Pictures
Cottonwood trees. May 24,2008. <http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7SUNA&q=Cottonwood+trees>

Shattil/Rozinski. Pouncing Red Fox. May 20,2008. <http://www.dancingpelican.com/img/thumbs/Fox011.jpg>

Flora Report

The Cottonwood Tree

The commonly known Cottonwood tree, or Populus fremontii, is one that many of us would recognize due to the fact that we can spot it across from our school. It has distinguishing features such as its thick, gray bark that is deeply furrowed. It has such strong bark because they live by the water. They are most commonly found along irrigation ditches, islands, and river banks. Its leaves put off a vibrant green, until fall which then turns them to yellow. Plus of course it puts off the cotton balls in the early summer, what is strange about this process is that cottonwood trees are either male or female. It is the females that put off the cotton that we know all to well. This is also the way that cottonwood trees pollinate. The seeds are imbedded in the cotton, which then fall everywhere including water and then those tiny seeds become giant trees. Considering the fact that the seeds are so tiny they really make a magnificent tree that has many niches. The cottonwood tree does not only provide shade to the weary, on a hot summer day but also does the same for grass and small shrubs. Without this shade we might not have a critical part of our ecosystem present. The shrubs/ grass and the cottonwood trees have a commensalisms relationship. The little shrubs get the shade and water from the roots of the tree and the tree just has to be there. You could basically say that the only thing the cottonwood tree needs is water, and sun, otherwise it gives up its branches to birds, shade to shrubs, and oxygen to the world. With all this people have the misconception that the cottonwood trees provide us with cotton for clothes. The real plant that we get our cotton from is Gossypiumsp.

The size of these trees is really hard to beat. They can grow to be 100 feet tall, while the diameter of their trunk could reach 5 feet. Even with all this might, these trees still manage to get damaged by storms. In one of my observations I said that I saw ants living in the tree. That was not true, once a hollow limb, on a practically dead tree breaks; it provides a home for rodents, squirrels, and apparently insects. I must have noticed these ants after they had already moved into their new home. Cottonwood trees are just one of many that make up our enviornment, and fill our survival nees.

Observation #6

Site: Cottonwood Ranch

Date: Thursday 22, 2008

Time: 6:30 am

Weather: very damp, Cloudy, chilly 42 degrees, Gloomy

Notes: I managed to get myself up and out quite early in the morning. It was almost as though life doesn’t start living until the afternoon. I can’t blame them. There were no insects out that I could really tell. Although it seemed that the little crow like birds which I have come to find out are, the common Grackle. They have yellow eyes, Shiny heads, which proves my hypothesis wrong, it wasn’t anything in the rain but it was just what they look like. Something I didn’t really notice until I looked them up is that they have an unusually long tail. The cottonwood trees fill a very important niche for these birds it allows them to live without being hunted by dangerous ground animals since they are not the biggest birds in the nest. Anyway so the Common Grackles were having breakfast while I sat out there. I was truly expecting animals such as coyotes or foxes to be more active in the morning but there really wasn’t any sign that they lived there. The grass was sipping in the new dew that was on them. I began thinking does grass have a predator adaptation? I will be sure to look that up. Other than that there wasn’t much significant that changes from am to pm. I might go back in the morning just to make sure.

Observation #5

Site: Cotton Wood Ranch

Time: 8:34 pm

Weather: Completely rainy/ very humid, and winds were very strong

Notes: I wasn’t able to go out in the morning for this observation; although this was my second time in the rain. The birds were out but it looked as if they were just trying to avoid the very strong winds that were occurring. The lighting would strike and the birds would keep moving as if nothing happened but then when the thunder made its presence they would stop. I think it is easier for them to feel the sound waves in the ground therefore they would be more affected by the thunder. I think that these birds might be a part of the Black bird family. They look like baby crows, they are black but when wet, it looks like someone has dumped oil on them. They have a shiny, bluish tint to their feathers. Is it possible that there could be something in the rain that makes it look like oil? I don’t know but I just thought of that. The soil has been quite rich and moist since the first time it rained which was two weeks ago. I wonder how long soil retains water. The worms were out, and I started to think about how big the worms were. I was wondering if the small ones are babies or if it is a predator adaptation. If they are smaller they would be harder to feel in the grounds therefore the birds would eat the bigger ones because they would cause more of a commotion underground. The water in the ditch has risen enormously, it is fast running (for such a small thing) and it is now supporting very long grass, and bugs that flock with water. The population of bugs has increased every time I go to my area. The dead trees on the other hand don’t seem to be taking advantage of the rain. I don’t know if it is because they are dead (or dyeing) that they don’t accept the moister or if because they just don’t want it. I am not sure but I will look up processing of dead trees. Thursday I hope to be there in the morning

Fauna Report

The Red Fox

The Vulpes fulva, or more commonly known as the red fox, is a mammal found throughout the world, except in Antarctica, Southeast Asia and on some islands. Foxes are very adaptable to their surroundings and survival needs. Therefore they can live in farmlands, forests, on deserts, and even in suburbs. The average size of a red fox is 18 to 33.75 in (46 to 86 cm) long, a tail that is 12 to 21.75in. With all of that the average life span is 2 to four years in the wild. Communities of foxes are most prevalent in places that can support them, otherwise they are spotted in their hunting ground or passing trails. When foxes have pups, either in late winter or early spring, they tend to live in groups or little communities. The vixen and dog, protect their young from enemies while also attending to their hunger. Once the four ounce pups are strong enough to play around, they begin the process of pouncing. They pounce on things in their parent’s tails. As you can imagine it would get pretty old having someone jumping on you so the Vixen and Dog bring live mice for the young to play with.

The most common place that foxes live is in dens. A den may be underground, in a cave, among rocks, or in a hollow log or tree. If all else fails red foxes, more than other species might dig their dens. Dens are usually established after mating in preparation for the pups. After the pups leave in late summer the foxes might split up and rejoin later in the fall.

The key to a fox’s survival is food. Now I guess you could say foxes might be a little lazy, or just incredibly sly. They will eat just about anything that is easy to catch or has already been killed. Just another reason they are so adaptable. The part that makes them sly is that they hide the uneaten parts of their pray. They dig a little pantry and save it for later. The reason farms or ranches, such as my area, are a big place to see foxes, is because they pray on the chicken and mice/voles, sometimes even lame birds. It has even reached a point where, in places that foxes have been “kicked out” the rodent populations have increased and foxes are being brought in. Foxes are very good hunters that do most of their work at night, but work year round.

Observation #4

Site: Cotton Wood Ranch

Date: 5-15-08

Time: 3:12 pm

Temperature: 61 Degrees

Weather: Very sunny, with a slight breeze

Notes: I noticed little flowers popping up around the irrigation ditch. I think yesterday was the day when spring was welcomed into my area. Butterflies were circling all the flowers and trees. It was the first butterflies I have seen all year. Although it was quite hot outside the soil stayed rich and moist. That might’ve been the exact amount of precipitation that the flowers needed in order to come out. I am really begging to wonder if the time of day effects what is going on in the field. Maybe the field goes through stages while the day goes on. I bet some animals are out early in the morning while others like mid day and night. I think that the mosquitoes are spawning because every time I go to my spot I get swarmed with more and more mosquitoes. In fact I have a couple bites to prove it. Something I saw this time was that the birds were back out and happy. When I first arrive every time, the birds aren’t there but as I sit they start to appear. It is kind of strange because I thought that they would be used to humans due to the fact that they are so close to the road. The next time I go I am going to try and go in the morning to see if it changes anything with in the field, or the ditch.

Observation #3

Site: Cotton Wood Ranch

Date: 5-13-08

Time of Day: 3:38pm

Weather: cloudy, humidity seemed very prevalent. It was cool about 56 degrees

Notes: The soil again was moist and very rich with nutrients. I saw that my area is, or was upholding a population of voles. There are little tunnels of grass and hay that they used as insulation over the winter. If you followed the tunnels with your eyes you would notice that there were a bunch of big clumps of grass that, I am guessing, they used as beds. The environment has the right amount of food that allows the voles to live. If there isn’t enough food, water, shelter, and space for them to live then I think there would be an intraspecific competition throughout the vole community. Likewise with the mosquitoes and other little bugs that call the irrigation ditch home. Since the last time I was there a tree limb has broken off and was lying across the ditch. Where the tree had snapped, where the actual brake in the tree was, I saw a lot of ants. I had no idea ants could live in trees. The tree was almost dead, very dried out. So I am thinking that the reason the ants would find the inside of a tree suitable for a home would be it could potentially keep them out of harms way. It is able to protect them from predators. And it supplies them with an already made home. Now that I think about it, I have seen ants on trees before but I had never suspected that they lived in them. How do they get in there? The birds and the land animals were inactive. I wonder if that has to do something with the weather.

Observation #2

During my second observation, I really put myself in the elements. It was raining while I sat and observed. It was Sunday the 11 of may. I went out at about 8:33 pm. With the temperature at a chilling 43 degrees. The wind picked up as soon as the rain started. Well the soil on Sunday wasn’t nearly as dry as Wednesday, of course because of the rain, but also because it had been getting rain all week…even snow :( . There were a lot of birds collecting little things, twigs, grasses, worms. I just realized that they were all probably gathering worms, due to the rain the worms were out and it was easy pickings for the birds. Another thing I noticed while I was standing there was that it smelled like rain. I think that, that smell comes from the grass as it gets wet and the soil and somehow reacts which exudes a rainy smell. I wonder what exactly is in rain…I started thinking about which animals would enjoy rain, that lived in such a grassy area. I couldn’t really think of any but I am pretty sure I am not one of them.

Observation #1

The area I am studying is a wide open field with a small creak (irrigation ditch) that runs close to the fence at which I stand for my observations. It is across from cotton Wood Park and is easily visible from the road. My first observation was on May 7th at 5:43 pm. It was about 60 degrees outside. When I started I saw not much of anything. I saw a bunch of dried grass that obviously didn’t have a good sun to water ratio, under enormous cotton wood trees. In the trees there were many nests of many different kind of birds. There were a lot of different sizes, which I think would indicate the size of the birds. The nests were at different levels in the trees as well which I think could relate to the casts system in birds. The little irrigation ditch had a lot of green grasses including Lego grass (my favorite). Most of the insects were by the water. The insects would fly and lightly tap the water I think they were either picking up nutrients or maybe even cooling off. The total area of the field and irragation ditch is about a football field. While I was sitting there I saw a small animal pop its head out from one of the cotton wood trees. It moved stealthily toward the middle of the field, but for some reason jolted back to its starting place. I think there might be a little home or cubby where they hide and hunt. The wind was slightly breezy, but enough to kick up dust. This means that the soil is dry everywhere except around the irrigation ditch. There are some sun flowers or dandelions around the irrigation ditch. And some floating logs in the ditch. I think that it is the time of year where things are just starting to come alive.