Community Nature Journal Entries: January 14, 2021

Join along with our journaling volunteers to experience the park from their eyes. In this post, you’ll get to hear from three of our staff members who journaled near our wetlands system.

 

Community Nature Journal Entry 1

Volunteer: Paige

Day and Time: January 14tn, 2021, 4:20pm

Weather: Windy, Partly Sunny

Observations:

The sound of the invasive phragmites blowing in the wind in the wetlands.

A duck in the retention pond!

Many birds chirping.

The rippling wind patterns on the surface of the pond.

A piece of garbage next to the deep section of the wetlands. Picked it up and threw it away.

The sunset shining over the wetlands is pretty and calming.

A cute squirrel eating up in the tree.

Multiple birds nest along the tree.

Nature Take Away:

  • Phragmites: (Phragmites australis) -non-native, also known as common reed, a perennial, invasive wetland grass that outcompetes native plants and displaces native animals. (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
  • Duck-Mallard: (Anas platyrhynchos) “dabbling ducks”-they feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. (Allaboutbirds.org)

 

Community Nature Journal Entry 2

Volunteer: Austin

Day and Time: January 14th, 2021, 4:33pm

Weather: Sunny/Partly Cloudy Temp: 56 degrees

Observations:

A bluebird with orange that’s sitting on the reeds (Eastern Blue Bird?) probably looking for a place to stay.

Rustling of the reeds in the wind.

Flock of brown birds landing in the evergreen.

Cooper hawk flying into the valley.

Reflection of the sky in the retention pond.

Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal sitting on top of the blacksmith shop.

Nature Take Away:

  • Eastern Blue Bird: (Sialia sialis) Predominantly stays in its habitat year round. Living in meadows and other open spaces trees with cavities are prevalent, used as nesting holes. (Allboutbirds.org)
  • Cooper Hawk: (Accipter cooperii) Found all year round. They prefer mature forests, open woodlands, wood edges, and river groves. (Audubon.org)
  • Northern Cardinal: (Cardinalis cardinalis) KY State Bird-Prefers woodland edges, thickets, suburban gardens, towns and desert washes. (Audubon.org)

 

Community Nature Journal Entry 3

Volunteer: Kylie

Day and Time: Thursday, January 14th, 2021, Sundown

Weather: Chilly/Cloudy Temperature: 54 Windy

Observations:

Birds chirp on the way to the wetlands, couldn’t find the bluebird.

Two birds dove into the wetlands.

Sunset is orange, pink and gives the trees a pretty silhouette.

It’s windy and the birds are definitely flying around a lot and in groups.

There are people taking photos and flying drones.

Water is calm, in the pond all the dry grasses leaning the same way.

Two little blackbirds hung out together and make small chirps.

I can hear the road and the drone but also the grasses swaying.

I never saw the birds leave the grass wetlands.

It smells like garlic.

Nature Take-Away:

  • Wild Garlic: (Allium canadense): a typical weed in lawns and garden, however very beneficial to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Bulbs may be eaten by wild turkeys. (NC State Extension) Possibly in the retention pond at Lost River Cave.

 

If you’d like to volunteer to complete a nature inventory at the park for our Community Nature Journal, you can sign up here.