Observation #3

Today was an extraordinary day! It was an amazing 65 degrees at around 5:00pm and only slightly breezy. First off, I noticed that there weren't nearly as many birds as there were on my last visit. The only predictions that I make as to why this happened is because it could of been too hot or because they were off doing something else. Although there were not as many birds, there were still plenty for me to watch. Immediately upon my arrival I saw a large bird carrying a branch to the nest that it was constructing. The nest was craft fully put together in a willow tree. Speaking of willows, the green buds on the willows that I found in my last observation had morphed into green, fuzzy things. I continued to observe the vegetation that is rapidly changing in everyone of my visits, and I saw many forget-me-not flowers starting to grow along the wetlands. The soil that is rich in nutrients helps specially adapted plants such as the forget-me-not grow. I investigated in the willows for a while and realized that a moose had recently been there because it had eaten the tops of the willows. My hope is that I will be able to catch the moose that I keep seeing signs of during one of my future observations. I migrated towards the water and there were copious amounts of the bugs that skim along the surface of the water. I searched and searched by I was unable to spot a fish. I thought that with the stagnant water and the plentiful amounts of bugs that the fish would be out in full force. Apparently not. Maybe it is too early in the season for them or the do not like the water that I am studying. As for the bugs that fly around, they were getting gobbled up by birds like kids in a candy-store. I would look up and see a bug in the air and all of the sudden, a bird would come from nowhere and snatch the bug into its beak with impressive skill. I also saw birds (mainly King Fishers) feasting on the bright green allege. This all reminded me of how the food web works. The bugs eat little particles in the water and leaves, the birds eat the bugs and the allege, fish eat the allege, big birds eat the fish, and so on. I was lucky enough to see the bright yellow bird again today and I think it is probably a yellow warbler. Despite the gorgeous day it was outside, I had to get home, but as I was leaving I saw the weird fuzzing things that come off of the aspen trees. From my previous knowledge, I know that these turn purple-ish when they get wet and after a while they turn into a cotton-like substance which I might add that I am highly allergic to. I believe that this is the aspen's way of spreading it's seeds in order for it to reproduce.