Temps were above freezing every day this week and the snow was melting. There was some minor flooding in low areas around Elba creating large puddles. The warmer weather partially melted the snow into a dense sugary consistency. Bare ground was showing in several places. Water was actively trickling down the wash by the bathhouse. I was down a few times to work on drywall in the bathhouse and cabin and went for a nice hike on Friday (3/5/22). When the temps get just above freezing the snow captures more track detail and it becomes more dense, holds its shape and resists drifting. This has changed the way that animal tracks print and stay. The prints show more detail and are sturdier. Dried plants and fallen leaves from the previous season are also leaving their mark in the snow as they are heating up and melting the snow around them.
Animals
I've heard more birds chirping the last few weeks and continue to hear a barred owl hooting at various times of day, sometimes 2 owls hooting at the same time. I found a couple owl pellets by the bathhouse where I have found them in the past. I couldn't tell if they were new or had thawed out of the snow.
On Sunday (3/6) I saw about 8 Trumpeter Swans in a large puddle in a cornfield in Elba along Hwy 74. Some where so muddy they appeared to be grey in color. The trail camera captured a deer, squirrel and a turkey tom the last few weeks. There were noticeably more turkey tracks on top of the bluff. Squirrel, rabbit and deer tracks have been the most common since snow has been on the ground.
I've started experimenting with taking sound recordings. I left an old cellphone outside by the bathhouse for an hour between 5p and 6p on Friday (3/4). I captured the barred owl a few times and Candian Geese flying overhead.
 |
| Owl Pellet - notice the jaw bone |
 |
| Racoon (left) and squirrel snow tracks at the Carya Camp |
 |
Squirrel snow tracks |
Plants and Trees
Some of the oaks, particularly the smaller White Oaks, and the Ironwoods still have their leaves. I collected several small live twigs with buds. I created a bud bouquet by putting the twigs in a vase filled with water at home and hope to watch the buds develop. There were some green plants in the areas where the snow was melted.
I found a patch of Ghost Pipes, some had released their seeds and some not. I crushed one of the seed pods still containing seeds and found that it was filled with thousands of tiny, brown, rice shaped seeds. I was curious about attempting to plant some but was reminded after a quick Google search that these plants do not photosynthesize and depend on fungi and the relationship fungi have with roots to get their nourishment (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monotropa/, https://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/oct2002.html). So I let the seeds go on the ground in a spot where I knew they would have a chance at sprouting and surviving.
 |
| Ghost Pipe with seeds |
 |
| Ghost Pipes without seeds |
 |
| Ghost Pipe seeds |
Comments
Post a Comment