Open Phenology: July 8, 2011
What: Select observations described below Where: Loring Park, around the little lake Observers: Abbie, Jim, Martha, Renner, Sarina, Emily, Margaret, Nicole, Mary, Scott Date/Time: July 8, 10 to 11:30 am Conditions: Sunny and hot |
General observations
- Humans are active in the park, at work (trimming trees) and play (using an iPad)
- The water is lower than it has been in recent weeks. Under the bridge, muddy banks are exposed.
Flora
- Arrowhead (probably broad-leaved)—one of its common names is duck potato, and yes, its tubers are edible
- Avens species—the burr-like structures are green, and each individual spike has a hooked end that breaks off to disburse a single seed
- Basswood trees— flowering
- Blue vervane—flowers are just beginning to bloom
- Bulrush—flowering
- Canada thistle—flowering
- Cattails—brown spikes are formed, densely packed. The male flowers (which are above the larger brown cylinder) are still present but starting to fall away and thin. (These pictures help illustrate what I mean: http://www.friendsofeloisebutler.org/pages/plants/cattail.html.)
- Day Lilies (domestic)—flowering
- Dock—flowering, some flowers are still green, others turning rusty brown
- Evening primrose—flowering
- Goldenrod—stem has a green gall formed by the gall fly
- Japanese tree lilac—flowering and fragrant
- Joe-pye weed species—tall (about 4’) with elegantly shaped leaf whorls
- Milkweed—flowering
- Pepperweed—flowers have given way to seeds
- Pineapple weed—flowering, the flower’s fragrance is sweet and fruity
- Rudbeckia—Yellow cone-flowers are blooming
- Swamp Milkweed—flowering
- Thistle species—thistle down is present starting to spread by wind
- Wild Lettuce—flowering
- Wood Sorrel—flowering
- Yarrow (domestic)—flowering
Fauna
- Mallards—ducklings are not much smaller than the adults by this time
- Wood Ducks—ditto with the ducklings’ growth
- Common Grackles—again, this year’s young are catching up to adults in size
Interesting Questions
- What comes before the cattail’s ‘cattail’? What does it look like before the brown spike forms? (Great question, Margaret!)
- How many Red-winged Blackbirds have territories in a pond of this size? (Population survey)
- How many kinds of trees are there in Loring Park (Diversity survey)
- Do birds lose their hearing?