A Growing Journal
In late August I noticed the beavers had returned. We watched one spend a leisurely amount of time munching out on the water lilies which grow at the end of the large pond near the small pond in the sheltered cove away from the small bridge. A few weeks later, we saw a beaver body floating in the smaller cove on the far side near the drainage channel. It floated there for a copuple of days.
Just last weekend we saw the almost skeletonized body floating on the near side of the pond just east of the cattail patch. Its ribs, backbone, and tail were clearly visible, but its head was not. Much fur was also still attached. cj
October 6, 2002
We saw a heron, wing span looked well over three feet, gracefully flying over the pond. It spent some time on the trees in the water near the old picnic area. On the forest floor there was a wide variety of mushrooms, seems that this is a good time of year for them. The recent rain has helped some, but we could still see submerged vegetation nearly all the way across both ponds. An algal bloom in the small pond near the bridge caught our attention too. cj
October 23, 2002
Follow-up to the field trip last Friday. Beautiful day. Students did great (concentrated, on task, focused, productive). We discussed briefly today product guidelines. They are working on them. We noted several major and easily observable differences between north facing and south facing slopes. The water chemistry from this trip has already been posted. Some of the data are suspect. We did find more beaver bones at the same site as before. They have documented them and we will try to post photos later.We did the 2002 Activities available here. cj
November 2, 2002
Beautiful walk in the autumn sunlight around the Pond and down the Basin (Poverty Creek) Trail. Autumn is an especially good time to walk there because you can see one of the more spectacular views of the eastern deciduous forest. Check out the album of that day. cj
November 11,2002
Student products for FT turned in. Some great Photo Essays and documentations of ecological aspects of the Pond. Two LARGE Power Point and Corel Presents e-folios. The start of an electornic portfolio for the year for two expert groups. To see one Presentation,click here. cj
November 25, 2002
The Pond is full again. Recent rains may have done little to alleviate the drought, but the Pond is clear and the spillways were both flowing strongly this weekend. We saw a dead deer near the large dam, a not uncommon sight this time of year. Perhaps a hunter lost track of one he shot? We saw several hunters tracking down in the basin Saturday. The borders where the NFS cut the brush certainly open up many of the trails' edges too. cj
December 9, 2002
The pond is frozen. See the Winter Slide Show for some shots. Skaters were enjoying the Pond while cross country skiers enjoyed the trails. Numerous deer signs and tracks were around, as well as other interesting tracks in the areas where the snow was soft enough to take tracks. cj
December 10, 2002
Good meeting at the Forest Service yesterday. Lots of people there who were interested in making this project go. Lots of ideas (Making the Pond an SOS, GLOBE, PTL, Smithsonian Diversity, etc. site(s)) on coordinating activities already in place with the Pond as a focus. Trail guide/signage enhancements and feedback forms discussed. Great potential. cj
January 2, 2003
Some unusual observations of late?
The ice, thin as a pane of window glass, sang as the wind blew over it in late December. It had partially thawed (completely in the middle) and when the wind blew over the Pond, the thin sheets bobbed up and down and rang with an almost metallic hum. Not like the robust cracking which can be heard when the ice is thick, this was almost a ring.
The Pond is above full today. Last couple of days of rain have all streams feeding it flowing rapidly (all those draining it too). The small pond, draining into the larger one at the bridge, showed a peculiar pattern of silt flow as it crossed over the barriers. It looked as if there were smoke in the water, the wispy tendrils of light silt weavng through the dark current.
We saw for the first time an otter in the Pond. Unfortunately it is dead. Fishermen said it had been there for a few days. Its fur was somewhat roughed up, as it floated near the eastern shore. We could see the light undercoat beneath thick outer fur. No sign of what killed it. But, with the dead snapping turtle last summer and the dead beaver this fall, it reminds us of the end of one food chain, the beginning of others. I wonder what will get it ? Looked as if the snapping turtles got the beaver carcass last fall, but they are not active now. Maybe, like the beaver a couple years ago, this one will persist for several weeks. cj
February 18, 2003
Quite a difference these past few weekends. Lot of snow...as the "President's Day 2003" storm hit and before. We have been able to see some things which are usually "invisible" to most people, such as these tracks. It is a lot of fun to walk through the snow covered woods, spot some trails, and follow them. It is a lot easier to do so in the snow. One can easily see the deer trails which cut through the Rhodendron thickets and head up the steep hillsides.
Unfortunately, for school sponsored trips, such experiences would be almost impossible with cancellations. It could work if one had students who were able and interested enough to brave the elements on some of the more passable days. The winter woods are an experience quite different from the leisurely spring walks. cj
February 23,2003
It has been an interesting weekend. Lots of rain has raised the levels of streams and pond alike. Both inlets and outlets are roiling. Click to see a Quicktime Movie of the Poverty Creek Inlet upstream of the swampland. Or, click to see a Quicktime Movie of the Southwest spillway flowing. The beavers are again active. Perhaps the rain and melted ice has sparked their activity? Recent sitings can be seen in the 2003 Gallery photo album.
March 2,2003
Fresh beaver gnawing is visible several places around the Pond. Fresh work is being done on one of the lodges also. Although the large Pond was completely clear of ice, a situation taken advantage of by dozens of fishermen, the smaller one was still half covered. In the small pond, though, we did see a frog body (perhaps washed out of winter's sleep by the recent rains), and a small turtle "sunning" itself on a branch. (There was little sun so it wasn't sunning much.) In the past three years, we'd have heard spring peepers by now, but since this is a more normal winter, they weren't heard this weekend.
March 4, 2003
Saw this "season's" first aquatic newt this afternoon. The Canadian Geese are back as are apparent mating pairs of Mallards. Note a good aerial view of the pond can be found at Terrafly for those who have access to high speed lines.
March 16, 2003
As dark bodied Newts in the Pond become more active and the Canadian Geese conduct their mating rituals and defensive responses to competitors, fishermen and women dot the banks, probably in response to the recent stocking ( I think.) The newspaper said last week that the Pond was stocked in March...we've seen several dead trout along the shore and as many or more on stringers.
We saw the beaver swimming out of its lodge way down stream just below the wildlife clearing where the trail crosses Poverty Creek. We haven't seen the beaver in the Pond itself for a couple of weeks...too busy around the Pond I'd think.
Yesterday we heard for the first time this year the peepers. They were somewhat late this year when compared to previous three, but it seemed that we had a hrasher winter too. Various pairs of Mallards and Brown Headed ducks float the Pond these days....
Spring is in the air. Small green buds appear on some of the plants as the hillsides begin to change color.
March 17, 2003
The peepers are out in force. The birds are much more active...The geese and muscovys fight and defend territories with much alarm...
April 4-7, 2003
Several visits this weekend showed some interesting things: In a pool we visit regularly, and in which we have seen numerous frog eggs and tadpoles in the past, we saw toad breeding activities. The mass of eggs in clumps, seen much earlier in the year, are now joined by the egg ropes of toads. Dozens of toads in breeding clasps floated in the shallow water.
We've found more animal heads along stream banks. One skull in a tree. The old fenceline extended. The sign posts for the field guides are up. The signs marking the new bridge construction are up. The beaver downstream stays active (we've seen him swimming under the water going into the lodge a couple of times recently).
Spicebush and Serviceberry are in bloom...Spring is coming in.
April 13, 2003
Nice day to walk. Found a bubbling spring near the wildlife clearing. Jumped what looked like a woodcock while approaching the spring. In the breeding pool numerous peepers clasping like the toads were last week (the toads are gone now, but the egg ropes remain, now covered with silt). Someone solved the bridge crossing problem at the "overflow outlet" on the northwest side of the Pond by placing a picnic table over the stream....it'll be gone in a few days, maybe already is.
Sassafras and numerous small yellow and purple violets in bloom.
April 17,2003
Tadpoles abound in the breeding pool. It appears to be drying up, but tomorrow portends rain, so they should not have to worry about that. However, the two mallards, which were very reluctant to fly away, and which were actively skimming the water with their beaks, may be another story. Do mallards eat tadpoles?
The incoming cold front sways the trees up high as it rumbles and roars down the hillsides.
May 12, 2003
What a beautiful weekend it was. Lots was happening at the Pond. Two beavers were spotted leaving the small pond and going into the larger one. One went under the bridge and through the spillway, the other just climbed up the dam and walked across. The green heron was there, as were Mallards and Geese with ducklings and gooslings [sic]. Water snakes were active in two locations, a dead ground hog was lying next to the parking lot, an unknown mammal skin and parts of a carcess was in Dead Turtle Cove. We saw a baby snapper on one of the trails, Rhododendron in bloom, and flame and pink azaeleas in the woods. Spring is an active time....
May 15, 2003
Long time watching the beavers in the large pond. One came to the bank and gathered a mouthful of grasses while the larger one cruised in large circles watching. The one with the grass eventually went closer to another point on the shore and disappeared for a while. Both soon returned to circling. Perhaps building a nest or feeding young?
The forest was almost glowing green after a heavy rain. Few people were there. Goose chicks are growing fast. Azaeleas are fading. Gay wings dotting spots in the floor. Spring moves on.
May 26, 2003
The weekend of the cicada. Along Poverty Creek Trail, and especially in the wildlife clearing, the emerged adults and their cast off exoskeletons were in great abundance. The cicada killer towers we saw weeks ago fortold their emergence. The purple rhododendron almost glows in the forest. The wet spring has made portions like a green tunnel along the trails. Someone reported to us having seen a "baby beaver" near the island. An active spring....dotted with wildflowers. We saw a large bird, with a white head and demeanor like an eagle or osprey, being mobbed by smaller birds Sunday morning. Weren't close enough for a positive i.d., but it seemd to have a dark ring at the base of its head which separated the white of the head from the white of the neck. They mobbed it away...maybe it will come back so we can get a closer view.
May 30-June1, 2003
If last weekend was a cicada weekend, this one was a red eft. Dozens of the salamanders were seen on the trails (Jacob's Ladder and Horse Nettle) in the wet weather. Of course, there were still numerous cicadas, sometimes hanging like Christmas tree ornaments on the trees. Walking on the trails one could notice the emergence holes and when sighting them, looking nearby, inevitably saw numerous empty exoskeletons and/or adults on the leaves and branches of nearby trees. The combination of cool and wet weather seemd to have made them lethargic, though as they simple dropped to the ground if brushed against. The high winds Saturday and Sunday littered the trails with prunings from trees and, of course, more than a few of the adults.
June 20, 2003
This week has been a wet one. Too wet to walk much. Last night we finally got a dry spell and went down Basin to the wildlife clearing, then up to the unnamed trail next to the road, then back down it to the basin. Some interesting sights : an unusual (for us I suppose) butterfly eating habit in the parking lot. Along the trail we saw numerous small "blues", but couldn't get a good photo. Last week we saw them gathering in mass on posts and dung along the trail. So thick they looked like clumps of mushrooms but they scattered on our approach. Last year, on a similar day, right before a thunder storm, we had seen a large snake climbing up a brush pile. We had been looking for it there ever since, and saw it yesterday.
The Indian Pipe is out. An interesting non-photosynthetic plant. We saw two different box turtles (apparently the same species) and a large moth.
We notice the bridges are up, and just in time considering the wettness of the spring, and "landscaping" to restore the hillside, which was discussed earlier in a Christmas tree restoration effort, is again underway.
The cicadas, when we entered the pine grove, were notably loud. Their dead bodies now litter the trails.
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