Springing Through Changes

Springing Through Changes

May 17 18, 21 and 31, 2015

  

        May 18

 May 31

At Cottonwood Pond, mid to late May was a time of growth and blossoming, literally and figuratively. Lush, green growth developed all around the pond area and up to the edges, as well as on the Root Ball, and even in the middle of everything. Some flowers were blooming, some plants were quickly gaining in height, and some new ones were emerging.

We had been through periods of continuous, heavy rains, and some storms, with one period in the middle with little or no rain. This caused water levels to fluctuate, affecting everything in and around the water, changing the nature of the whole area. When water receded, conditions allowed some plants and animal life to move back into spots that were formally underwater, either taking hold or staying temporarily, altering those places in some way. When water returned, it rejuvenated the spots that filled. I do not think anything ever completely dried up during May, so anything staying there had to love dampness.

Overall, the whole area has been changing a great deal, intensified by rains and flooding. The main pond, “little pond”, spaces around the Inlet, the Swampy Spot and all other swamped areas, and the Cove have been working towards becoming one whole, continuous very wet area. Whether that will become one big pond (with the Root Ball in the middle) or just one big, flat swampy area remains to be seen.

I will first describe general observations of three visitation periods: May 17 and 18, May 21, and May 31. After that, we will go on a photographic journey of comparisons in different locations of the area in the bottom of my woods that I call Cottonwood Pond.

(Note: the previous blog entry, Maps II, can work as a good reference, especially if you are new to this blog and place. You might even enjoy going backwards, reading blog entries from the beginning, to get a sense of how things started and how much they have changed.)

May 17 and 18 – after periods of heavy rains

–        Butterweed in bloom around area

–        Jewelweed plants growing

–        “Mystery Plants” (which could be a species of Monkeyflower) are growing in more areas, other than the Swampy Spot, such as in the soggy area outside the Inlet, and shallow places in the Creek

–        Plants in the main pond water are still green

–        There is a great deal of greenery around the Root Ball and on the Mud Piles

–        Swampy areas are all around.

–        The Cove is larger and easy to see through

–        Lots of water in the Seep

–        The Dam (zig-zag) area in the Seep has Crawdad chimneys on it (possibly raided by Raccoons.)

–        The vertical space at the Inlet, between the main pond water and the Barkless Log over it is much larger; the space is complete – one whole Inlet

May 21 – after a short period of little or no rain

–        Butterweed is in bloom

–        Plants growing: Jewelweed, Clearweed, grasses

–        Poison Ivy vines hanging from the top edge of the Root Ball

–        Everything is very wet and muddy, but:

- main Pond is lower

- no water in the Seep

- no water over the Isthmus

–        Water is very clearly moving through the Cove

–        A much wider space at the Inlet (between pond surface and Barkless Log) since water level has gone down

May 31 – more heavy rains since mid-May

–        Very dense greenery on top of Root Ball, on Mud Pile #1, and all around

–        The Cove is widening

–        Water moving through the Cove to “little pond” area (not sure if it moves both ways)

–        The main pond is still full, but not at a high level

Photographic Journey of Comparisons in mid to late May:

Whole area, viewed from the north:

 May 17

Left to right:  “little pond” with Trunk in background; Two-Trunk Tree (only one trunk visible) and Root Ball with Mud Pile #1 and Isthmus between; main Pond – Seep coming from right corner; Barkless Log above Inlet in background, with Bent Blue Beech above and Very Rotten Log below right.  Masses of Jewelweed plants on the ground, interspersed with groups of Stinging Nettle. Yellow flowers are Butterweed. Creek, not very visible here, is to far right. “little pond” has swollen into a swampy area nearby, has gone under the Trunk, and has joined the main Pond water through the Cove (not visible here) under the Root Ball.

 May 18

Same view, closer: much dirt has sloughed off the bottom side of the Root Ball onto  Mud Pile #1, which is covered in plants, and which extends across to the Two-Trunk Tree (which is in the foreground.) This behaves as a sort of dam between the main Pond and “little pond”, but as an Isthmus when there is enough water to flow over it. The stretching out of “little pond” can be seen more clearly here (on the left.) The Cove is barely seen under the Root Ball on the main Pond side, but the Inlet is very clear (back right.)

Views of the main Pond:

 May 17

North end, looking from south – north edge of main Pond where it meets with “little pond” over the Isthmus when water is high. Water also overflows into the Seep at the left corner (empties into the Creek.) Mud Pile #1 is seen on the right, below the Root Ball.

May 17

Looking to the south along the edge of the main Pond during inundation. In the background the Very Rotten Log can be seen going under the Barkless Log, with a very clear Inlet.

 May 17

Closer view of Barkless Log, Inlet and Very Rotten Log at the southeast end of the main Pond. Formerly, water seeped in via 2-3 small inlets under the Barkless Log.

 May 17

The Main Pond during a deep period. The Cove can be clearly seen at the base of the Root Ball, where water now flows between sides. Also visible are Mud Pile #1 (left) and the smaller Mud Pile #2 (at the right,      nestled between the Root Ball base the Barkless Log/Inlet).

May 21

Four days later, water has receded to some degree. It no longer extends beyond the small tree on the right. As the overall water level is lower, the space in the Inlet is much larger.

Mud Pile #1:

 Plants growing on Mud Pile #1: Jewelweed, with and understory of Clearweed

The Seep

May 17: the corner of the main Pond (left) emptying to the right into the Seep after heavy rains.

              May 17: though barely visible through cover of Jewelweed, grasses, Poison Ivy and other plants, the Seep winds from the Pond (bottom) to the Creek (top)

May 18: where the Seep zig-zags in the middle of its journey, a dam has been developing - Crawdads have been building their chimneys in the mud there, building up the dam

May 18: a Raccoon print in the mud by Crawdad chimneys in the dam - the chimneys are collapsed from either heavy rains or raccoon raids

 

 

             May 18: Where the Seep meets the Creek (near the other end of the Very Rotten Log), a bark piece has been exposed. Water trickles over the bark during and after heavy rains

            May 18:  Another look at where water leaves the Pond corner (top) and flows down the Seep

 May 21:  Four days later, water has receded, though everything is still very muddy - the main Pond water (below) is lower - no water flows through the Seep (left) or over the Isthmus (upper right), but there are many Raccoon prints

 

The Isthmus

May 17: After heavy rains, water is moving over the Isthmus from the main Pond (below) to “little pond”

“little pond”

May 17: looking across “little pond” toward the Trunk after much rain - water can be seen extending to the other side of the Trunk as well as across adjacent land to the left, creating a generally soggy, almost swampy area

May 21: After a period of little or no rain, the water of “little pond” has receded, but still extends beyond the Trunk - the deep part is distinguishable

The Temporary Creek

May 18: The Temporary Creek is where water collects at the base of the slopes to the east/northeast of Cottonwood Pond and flows down to the eastern end of the area, under the Trunk to “little pond” as well as under the Inlet into the main Pond - a walk eastward along the slopes reveals the upper, farthest reaches of Temporary Creek (which is roughly parallel to the regular Creek)

Swampy Spots

 Water flows from the Temporary Creek (upper right) into soggy “swampy” areas on the eastern edge of the Cottonwood Pond area - here, a large clump of “Mystery Plants” (which may be a species of Monkey Flower” grows in a perennially wet spot

Just outside the Inlet, water originating from the Temporary Creek gathers into another very soggy area - here, the same “Mystery Plants” have recently taken hold, finding this wet place favorable - they also grow in some shallow places in the Creek

A Closer Look at Water in the Main Pond:

May 17: After heavy rain, unidentified plants in the main Pond water are still green and growing … 

… while fallen Tulip Tree blossom petals gather at a nearby corner, by the Very Rotten Log

May 21:  With a lower water level four days later, it is easier to see algae and detritus on the bottom of the main Pond

Life around Cottonwood Pond

 Jewelweed plants and fallen Tulip Poplar blossom petals on the mud - dark streaks are rotten leaves from the year before.   

 Tiny orange fungi (above Tulip Poplar petal), encouraged by much moisture, on the Very Rotten Log

 A carpet of young Jewelweed plants and some tall Stinging Nettle plants surround the Very Rotten Log - the log extends over the Creek near a blossoming yellow Butterweed

 

May 21:  A Spicebush shrub, planted a few years ago (and tagged with pink tape) is flourishing near Cottonwood Pond  

 

 May 18

May 31

Observations after that time (seen only from above at woods edge – no direct visits):

–        There was one period without rain for a while – the main pond receded to a large puddle, in the deeper, south end.

–        There was a great deal more rain before and after that period during which pond levels were high again.