Johnson's Woods
September |
October |
Observations: Johnson’s Woods
Early September Still warmth in the air The forest floor plants are dying back The progression from summer to fall has begun Soon the bareness of the forest floor will make its way to the tips of the trees But not just yet From the tops of the trees comes the sound of rain The sound of rain on a clear sunny day can only mean one thing Frass The caterpillars are crunching munching the leaves up above The sound is post digestion When looking up, try not to gape with your mouth wide open The sun began to set Chipmunks with so much to say made off to their dens(?) A distant ‘whoo cooks for you’ echos through the trees The trees The majestic ancient trees The old growth forest that remains And changes And will grow and change, grow and change How many generations of barred owls have hatched, fledged, and nested in these trees I’ve met two Where the canopy has cracked open And the branches have rested The mosses, fungi, lichen, and beetles reclaiming them in the name of the earth Late summer plants are making their final stand Jewelweed and nettle, smartweed and beechdrops, knotweed and turtlehead Soon enough they’ll join the spring beauties and the violets, the trillium and the trout lily Where they rest as fallen seeds as hidden tubers as corms and bulbs Until March when the calls of the thrush Wake them For now though, let’s walk through September One step, one day And appreciate the changes happening right before our eyes |
Observations: From September to October
So far the biggest change is the position of the sun. Although further down the trail the maples are turning bright red and a pair of deer foraged next to the trail. |
November |
December |
Observations: Sunny, mid 60s
Trees are mostly bare - only the beech and the upper canopy of the oaks are still holding leaves. All around the sound of crunchy leaves falling on crunchy leaves. I had to turn around numerous times to see if someone was walking behind me (crunch crunch) but it was always just the sounds of the leaves falling. This is the time of year when you can use your nose to determine what type of forest you're in - how different the oak dominated woods smell from the maple dominated from the beech dominated. Follow your nose down the path. Looking around, all that remains green are the evergreen forbs - the cat brier, the avens, the Christmas ferns. Nuthatches and squirrels join the chorus of falling leaves - a seasonal soundtrack Best bird sighting happened right at the hickory tree in the photo. A brown creeper darted up and around the trunk! |
Observations: Cloudy, 40s
A quiet settles over the forest Only the sound of wind in the trees shaking and rattling the gentle creak of trees resting together Around the bend squirrels rustle through the leaves looking for the last fallen acorns A squeak brings the eyes up where stealthily a nuthatch climbs defying gravity to hide food in the heavy bark of the old oak tree |
January |
February |
Observations:
Sunny day, now cloudy, wind picking up, cold air blowing Nuthatch calling Squirrel scampering Leaves wet from yesterday's rain Dead opossum still there Write about j woo Write about shagbark Other great trees from where I stand. Oaks and beech. |
Observations:
Quiet A distant train sound The boards groan and creak, heavy with ice Someone burning leaves or brush, the scent whispers in the air Cold 30s, not much wind, dark Squirrel sounds A pileated calls 3 deer up from the tree At least 10 deer up from stream Owl? Squirrel mating and nesting season! |
March |
April |
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Observations: We've reached that time of year when the sun has moved back to the same position it was in in October!
False mermaid leaves have emerged, as have the spring beauties. The opossum is totally gone now. Barred owl calls from the distance. A cold wind blows but the sunshines bright. One of the many vernal pools is alive with the songs of the chorus frogs and spring peepers. |
Observations: Trees are bare but growth is happening.
Blooming coltsfoot, green starts of jewelweed, bedstraw getting big, false mermaid, violet leaves. Trout lily leafs, buds, and blooms! Mayapple stumps are up. Partridge berries. Golden ragwort in purple buds. Wood anemone in bud. Toothwort blooming. Trillium so close to blooming. Spicebush in flower. Spring beauty in bloom. Barred owls are calling - so are the frogs. |
May |
June |
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Observations: first firefly of the season! Garter snake enjoying a sunbeam. Maple/ beech section full of fresh green leaf coverage. Dappled sunlight. Trout lily leaves are fading, most other ephemerals are gone. Mayapples are wide and blooming. Poison ivy emerging from the leaf litter. Purple violet, yellow violet. Spring beauties stretching high. Raccoon watching me from afar.
Really wonderful trillium year - blanketed the forest further than I've ever seen here! Jack in the pulpit blooming. Wild geranium blooming. Wood anemone blooming. Indian Cucumber in bud. White baneberry in bloom. Solomon seal blooming - Solomon plume almost. Chipmunk eating large ants/termites? from a log. ell flower blooming |
Observations: Sunny, very warm, nice breeze. Pewee singing. Walnuts forming on trees. Ephemerals are done. Lots of Virginia creeper. Green leaves have been falling from the maples - still green but crunch - from the heat? MUD BUG (crawdad) Chimney! Wetlands are all dry, jewelweed drooping in the sun - in the understory they're okay. Mosquitoes buzzing but not biting.
Indian Cucumber in bloom!!! One of the coolest plants. |
July |
August |
Observations: dry but the mosquitoes don't mind much. Beech blight is taking over the trees. Rogue cat, this isn't where you belong.
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Observations: A heavy rain flooded parts of the boardwalk, but let up just long enough for me to take this photo. The fungi and slugs were having a great time soaking up all the much needed rain. I made it to the bend at the end of this image before the rain started in a heavy downpour that didn't let up for about 30 minutes. By that time I turned around and made it back to the car, wading in murky brown rushing water all the way.
Although damp and rather uncomfortable, there's just something beautiful about being in the woods in the rain. |