Week One

4:00 Monday April 7, 2014
Sunny, 66 degrees
Magnuson Park

The site I have chosen to observe is Warren G. Magnuson Park. While at first glance it seems like an array of baseball fields, upon further exploration, there are preserved wetland areas with plants and birds galore! This was my first time going to Magnuson, so I was excited to get to explore!

Here is my observation site! It is very peaceful here!

 While within 50 meters, I was only able to see a few ducks, canadian geese, and a black bird with red on its wings, I heard a plethora of bird calls from birds which I did not see. I hope that in my further explorations I will be able to spot more of the birds that I heard. I also kept hearing a frog croak, but I never actually spotted it. 

I wasn't able to get a very good shot, but this bird had a high pitched call, and each time it puffed up to call I was able to glimpse some red on its wings. I also heard another bird in the distance call back to it!

While many of the ducks and canadian geese were off in the distance, here is one that swam up close to me.

Along the water behind me on the other side of the trail, there were many tall plants that were fluffy and almost looked like cotton candy on top. They were growing all along the sides of the water. I also spotted a yellow flowering plant.

Unknown yellow flowering plant. 

Unknown plant along the water behind me.

Additionally, there were many species of trees that I am unable to identify, a few of them were pine trees, but many of them had more broad, flat leaves. Within one meter of me, I saw many little flies (they seemed to have yellow stripes, they could have been bees) buzzing around. There were also many grassy leafy plants. There were also what looked like mini pine trees to me protruding out of the ground, yellowish green in color. In the water there was algae growing, as well as other grassy looking plants. There was also a plant that had buds that looked sort of dead and dried up to me, but I guess I will know for sure after further observations. I also saw plants with tube like bristle shapes protruding- perhaps they will bloom? Again, in the weeks to come, I am sure I will be able to answer that question. I was also able to spot some fungi as well as some moss growing on a log. 

The plants that look like little pine trees to me among the grass. 

Algae growing in the water.

The buds that I think look dried up.

Grasses growing out of the water.

Tube-like bristles that I think will perhaps be flowers.

Moss on a log. 

A fungi growing on a log. 

While making my observations, I realized that I was unable to put names to many of the species that I have seen plenty of times before. I am excited to be able to name them in the coming weeks!

As far as an experience in nature goes, here is what I came up with:

Every time I am in nature, I am in awe of it. I have always loved how it has made me feel so small, taking me away from the stress of day to day life and helping me relax. A time I remember feeling this the most was on a bio field trip fall quarter. We hiked Twin Falls and Snoqualmie Falls and I was amazed by the power of the waterfalls we saw. Despite our upcoming midterm for the class that coming Monday, I had never felt so relaxed and de-stressed at any point during school before. To me, this is extremely important and powerful that simply being outdoors and in nature can have that affect on me. 

As a child, there was not an experience in nature that stood out to me. My parents did not take me to a lot of natural places that I can recall. As I've gotten older, I have taken it upon myself to explore nature on my own, and I hope to continue doing that no matter where I end up after college. I look forward to expanding my explorations in this class!