Summer Scenes: Dry
and Wet
June 13 and 17,
2016
June 13
June 17
Two different scenes greeted me as I went down to Cottonwood
Pond on both June 13 and June 17.
On the 13th there had been no rain for a long
time. But, then we had heavy rain through June 14 and 15, finally refreshing
everything. June 17 was warm and sunny with no rain that day or the day before,
allowing the previous rush of water to recede some. But, what effect did it
have?
The difference between the slope and bottom land was becoming
more distinct as spring plants died down (including the mass of Mayapple
“umbrellas”) and the bottom land became richer with taller, leafier summer
plants, and a greater density of them.
June 13 - looking up the slope from Cottonwood Pond
June 17 - the front slope above Cottonwood Pond, to the southeast
June 17 - bottom of slope (right) and beginning of bottom land (right), showing the root base of the Barkless Log
Of course, water flow was very different between the 13th
and 17th. On the 13th, I could walk across the Isthmus,
and some of the main and “little pond”, without wearing boots.
June 13
Temporary Creek #1 (which feeds water from slope run-off to
the pond area) was fairly dry, with no new water refreshing it …
June 13 - Temporary Creek #1 (with ball that washed down)
...and the Seep was not even visible, partly due to increased
plant density.
June 13 - Pester somewhere near the invisible Seep
Even the Inlet was very dry.
June 13 - the Inlet, seen from the outside
June 13 - the Inlet, seed from the pond side
But, after enough rain Temporary Creek #1 was quite muddy,
with some puddles …
June 17
...and the Seep was becoming a little more active.
There had been water flowing through the Inlet again, into
the pond, and the area required boots this time.
June 17 - where water enters the pond via the Inlet
June 17 - the Inlet
As I went to the pond on both days, I heard songs of Wood Thrushes,
Peewees and others, and the sounds of Woodpeckers. Crickets sang. Black-Winged
Damselflies, the males with deep black wings and jewel-like, iridescent turquoise abdomens, had appeared in increasing numbers between June 13 and 17.
June 17 - Male Black-Winged Damselfly (Caloptery maculata) on Poison Ivy
June 17 - Wild Yam leaf showing flat gall spots left by a type of gall midge - the larvae has already dropped to the ground to pupate and the remaining spots are wearing away.
With plenty of mud on both days, there were old and new
Crawdad chimneys, especially many new, small ones after the rain ...
June 13
June 17
… as well as Raccoon prints in the mud.
June 13 - Raccoon print in pond mud, near bottom of photo
June 17 - Raccoon print in watery Creek mud, right
Another print that appeared, freshly, on both days, was that
of a canine.
June 13
June 17, next to small notebook
I hadn't seen any stray dogs around, and Kojak had not gotten
away from his home. My guess was a Coyote, but I wasn't sure. I thought they
were larger than Fox prints, though. Maybe I need to set up a night camera at
Cottonwood Pond. That would make for some interesting blog postings in the
future!
What of the pond itself?
Well, on June 13 there was no sign of water, other than some
indistinct puddling in the deeper parts, but on June 17 the bowl was refreshed
with a good amount of water, though not full.
June 13
June 13
June 17
Here is “little pond” on June 13:
Deepest part - nothing but muck
and on June 17:
June 17
June 17 - deepest part of "little pond"
June 17 - deepest part of "little pond"
After the dry period, I wondered what had happened to all of
those frogs and tadpoles. Did the large loss of water cause a number of
tadpoles to die from lack of moisture and oxygen? Had both frogs and tadpoles
become more susceptible to predators, unable to dodge deep into water or pond
bottom mud? I did see one frog stick its head out of a leafy puddle in the
middle, then withdraw into invisibility just as quickly.
June 13 - the deepest part of the main pond
After the rains, I still saw no signs of tadpoles or frogs
(without scooping up a water or mud sample), but I did hear some frogs jumping
as I approached.
There was other activity in the pond on the 17th.
Two flying insects, possibly some type of fly, flitted together across the
surface, chasing. There was at least one Water Strider on the surface, and lots
of spider strands stretched across the pond. A Willow leaf floated on the
water, as well as some fluff from Cottonwood trees, which had been releasing
their fluffy seeds into the air.
June 17
The Elderberry shrubs were thriving and increasing on the
southeast side of Cottonwood Pond, mostly in bloom on the 13th, but
showing some green berries as time went on.
June 13 - the Elderberry Grove
June 13
June 17 - part of Elderberry Grove
June 17 - upper reaches of Elderberry Grove, with a particularly large cluster
June 17 - Pennsylvania Leatherwing Beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus), a.k.a. Soldier Beetle on left, unidentified species of Longhorn Beetle (Family Cerambycidae) on right
June 17 - a spent Elderberry flower on the mud below
June 17 - part of Elderberry Grove
Monkey Flower plants were growing denser and taller in the
Swampy Spot at the near end of Temporary Creek #1.
June 13 - Monkey Flower patch in the middle of the Swampy Spot
June 13
June 17
Virginia Creeper vines were stretching across the bed of
Temporary Creek #1 and also down either side of the Root Ball.
June 13 - Virginia Creeper vines growing across Temporary Creek #1
June 17
June 13 - Virginia Creeper vines on the Root Ball
Honewort displayed its tiny, delicate white blossoms.
June 17
When I looked up the back slope on June 17, toward the fallen
Cottonwood Trunk, I saw a distinct change.
June 17
During a previous storm, a Black Cherry tree had fallen onto
the Cottonwood Trunk and was broken.
June 17 - as seen from the east
June 17, as seen from the upper end of the fallen Cottonwood Trunk
It was a very fresh break.
June 17 - fallen Black Cherry
Would this fallen Cherry tree have an effect on the dynamics
of that space?
Near and far views, on June 17, where the far end of the fallen Cottonwood had wedged into the notch of a double-trunk Red Oak on the back slope above Cottonwood Pond:
Near and far views, on June 17, where the far end of the fallen Cottonwood had wedged into the notch of a double-trunk Red Oak on the back slope above Cottonwood Pond:
Walking along the Trunk, I noticed that the Wood Ear fungi
had been renewed by the rains …
June 17 - Wood Ear fungus on Cottonwood Trunk
… accompanied by Raccoon scat left neatly on a high part of
the Trunk.
June 17 - Raccoon scat
Would we get some more rain, and would the pond fill up some
more? How will things change as summer progresses?
June 17
*********************************************************************************
BONUS!!
Here is a video of a walk on June 13, going down the slope
toward Cottonwood Pond, taking in the beautiful bird songs:
Lucky you having your very own flautist in your woods.
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