1st field visit

1st Field Visit

September 7, 2018

Official photographs: I am planning on having two pictures that I will take from the same position each time. One is a panorama, and the other is just a normal picture of the forest.

Panorama facing away from the lake

Picture of part of the game trail

Date: September 7, 2018
Time: 4:21--4:56
Weather: Mostly cloudy, with 10 mph winds from the North
Temperature: 64˚F
Length of Day: 12 hours, 51 minutes
Organism Observations: I didn't see any major organisms, like large birds or mammals, but I did see signs that there were some animals that roamed here. Along the trail there was a fallen log that had tunnels that were probably made by some sort of insect. Also on that log were holes made by a woodpecker. I could here birds chirping to each other, but oddly, I never saw any flying around. On the culvert, there was a spider starting a web, and several honeybees buzzing from flower to flower. On the path, there was a small hold that was probably dug by a chipmunk or mole. There was heavy plant cover on the path to the lake. There were several plants I didn't recognize, and I made sure to get pictures of them. Although I'm not good at identifying plants, there were quite a few different kinds of plants and flowers. Even though I didn't see any major organisms, I did see a red squirrel along the road nearby when driving home(I almost hit it!). I hope to see more animals next time I'm here, and possibly catch a fish. In the pictures below, I have recorded the organisms I did find, and the mark they left on my plot.
Organism Photographs:

Insect tunnels, and some Woodpecker holes in a fallen tree

Little burrow of some critter(never did see him).

Spider beginning a web inside the culvert

Busy busy honeybee!

Who knows what cool critters could live here?

What are these plants?

 Purple Loosestrife? Boo!

Other Observations: I noticed a profound temperature difference between my plot, and my house 3 miles farther inland. I am also curious what kind of fish there are in this lake, so maybe I should bring fishing gear next time!
Other Photographs:

 Just a monkey taking a dip in the water.

Questions/Comments: I should have a thermometer for the water next time. Also, what is the history of this lake? Why didn't I see all the animals that should be in the area, like the birds and squirrels? Was that just coincidence, or was it something more that related to this specific ecosystem?