As one walks slowly and quietly between Marker 1 and Marker 2, during the warmer times of the year, one inevitably sees turtles on the logs in the water between the two sites. As one approaches Marker 2, which is near the only remaining spillway between the Ponds, and near the remaining bridge between the Ponds, one often encounters in the warmer months water snakes sunning or hunting along the water's edge or on the concrete block of the spillway.
To the left here, on the uphill side of the trail, one can see the remains of the old picnic areas which were destroyed, for various reasons, as the improvements were made. One can also see the brush piles, up the dry southeastern facing slopes, which remain from these improvements. Indeed, in the winter, one of the most obvious differences in the hill sides can be seen when this one melts and dries long before the one on the other side of the Pond does.
Because of this "heat trap" nature here, bird activity is high all year round and various species can be heard or seen even on the coldest days. Interesting also are the few patches of extremophile cyanobacteria which can be found in the areas along this stretch between Markers 1 and 2 in the areas where rain water drains poorly. Standing at Marker 2, one can also see where the floating waterweeds in the small pond may indicate the successional nature of the Pond ecosystem.
