Days of May
May 2016
May 4
May 20
May 27
After the explosion of greening in April, the month of May
fine-tuned on the greenery, allowing every leaf to stretch to it limit and open
fully, creating a woodland so dense one could hardly see through it. In fact,
it was difficult to see Cottonwood Pond from the top edge of the woods. Even
when moving down the slope, nearing the area, my eyes felt broadened by the amount
and intensity of green.
A young Sycamore leaf on the pond, prematurely blown from a nearby tree - May 27
Leaves of Blue Beech over Cottonwood Pond - May 20
May 4
May 20
May 27
The slope going down to Cottonwood Pond, changing from Mayapple plants to Jewelweed - May 20
The Root Ball was festooned with green all around, a crown on
top with “feathers” of saplings sticking up jauntily, graceful ribbons hanging
down the face (Poison Ivy vines) and green epaulets at each shoulder (Mud Piles
#1 and #2, full of Jewelweed, Wood Nettle and other plants.)
The Creek (foreground), Cottonwood Pond and the well-decorated Root Ball on May 20
Sugar Maple and Blue Beech sapling "feathers" on top of the Root Ball - May 20
Saplings - May 27
Mud Pile #1 (lower left) and trailing vines on the Root Ball on May 20
Plants on Mud Pile #1 - May 27
The woods had been bursting with birdsong, too, especially
the distinctive flute-like echo of the Wood Thrush, the equally melodic Eastern
Towhee, and the tropical-sounding, guttural repetition of the Yellow-Billed
Cuckoo.
It was raining steadily when I visited Cottonwood Pond on May
20, sending the Creek running and making the mud glisten.
The Creek
Rain on the pond
Very wet plants
It filled crawdad holes …
… and brought forth snails and fungi.
Turkey Tail fungi on a log near "little pond"
Coral fungi on a log in the soggy area outside of the Inlet
Despite so much extra water running, it was almost impossible
to see the Seep beneath the dense, tall vegetation.
The Seep running from the pond corner (bottom of photo) on May 20
The same, on May 27
There is a Seep in there somewhere! - May 27
Northwest corner of pond - Seep (not visible) flows to the left - May 27
A closer view of the pond corner where the Seep flows out (to the left) and excess water flows over the Isthmus (top) - May 27
The Isthmus, where water flows between the main pond (bottom) and "little pond" (upper), past the Two-Trunk White Ash (left) and Mud Pile #1 (right) - May 27
Of course, water had been rushing down Temporary Creek #1 to
the Swampy Spot where the Monkey Flower grows …
Looking up Temporary Creek #1 - May 20
The Swampy Spot at the end of Temporary Creek #1 - May 20
The Swampy Spot, with circles of Monkey Flower plants - May 20
… toward the Inlet …
Where water flows from the Swampy Spot on its way to the Inlet - May 20
Evidence of the flow of water toward the Inlet to Cottonwood Pond - May 20
May 27
… through the Inlet to the main pond …
Water flowing through the Inlet to Cottonwood Pond - May 20
The Inlet (under the Barkless Log) and Cottonwood Pond - May 20
The Inlet, as seen from across the pond - May 20
… also branching off from the Swampy Spot, flowing under the
Trunk to “little pond.”
Where water flows from the Swampy Spot toward "little pond", going under the upper limb of the Barkless Log - May 20
"little pond" and the fallen Trunk (right) - May 27
"little pond", with the Trunk in the background - water flows into "little pond" from beyond the Trunk - May 20
Near the Cove, where water flows between the main pond the “little
pond” under the Root Ball, Raccoons had been at work, searching for food.
Raccoon tracks - May 27
Near their tracks were some rod-shaped dents in the mud,
going into the water. What made these?
May 27
I’m sure they were all after some of the frogs I heard jump
into the pond. Meanwhile, the next frog generation had developed tiny front and
back legs, and their bodies had broadened.
Tadpole - May 27
Tadpoles - May 27
As my eyes adjusted, I saw many tadpoles dotting the pond
just below the surface.
May had certainly been a month of increasing lushness at
Cottonwood Pond.
May 27
I hope to more closely examine life within the pond in the near
future.
Now let’s take a Plant Tour:
Large-Leaved Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum macrophyllum) on the slope just above Cottonwood Pond - May 20
Mayapple leaves and developing fruit (Podophyllum peltatum), on the slope just above Cottonwood Pond - May 20
Honewort plants (Cryptotaenia canadensis) love the low, wet area near the pond - May 20
Butterweed (Senecio glabellus) in bloom and seed - May 27
The Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) I planted near Cottonwood Pond is doing well! The start was given to me by a friend a few years ago. May 27
Jewelweed plants - probably Spotted Orange Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) growing taller and faster, with blooms in their near future. May 27
