29 March 2013 14:30 CDST

Art Fleming Trail.
67ºF Partly Sunny.

The stream is up at the 1st Bridge. Saw the first aquatic Invertebrate Water Hoglouse Asellus asellus. It was ¼" long. Algae is still growing under the 1st Bridge.

 

Just past the Short-cut Bridge new plant life is poking out of the ground.

All is still dormant from Observation point A.

The big Oak is still dormant.

I traced the headwaters of stream at the 2nd Bridge to runoff from the hill at the north parking lot by the Ball fields.

I traced the headwaters of the stream at the 4th Bridge to a storm drain.

 

I could not go further up the trail because it was too wet.

I observed the following:
1 Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)
1 Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - Calling for a mate
1 Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Circling overhead
2 Robins (Tardus migratorius)
1 House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

 

29 March 2013, 08:00 CDST

Holiday Hills, Danville IL

Observed my first earthworm. It was crawling on a sidewalk at 904 Sunset.

The snow has mostly gone now. It is only in shaded places now.

25 March 2013, 10:10 CDST

Home Base, Danville IL.
39ºF

It SNOWED last night.
 We received 8". I used the picnic table as a snowboard. I only had a 6" ruler in my kit so I marked where the 6" left off and eye balled the rest.

It is a very heavy snow bending the pine tree badly. The bottom branches should be above the door which is 6' tall.

23 March 2013, 07:10 CDST

Backyard
35ºF Wind still.

Observed 2 Robins mating.

The Maple trees in the front and back yard are budding. The Cherry tree is also budding. The Ash tree is still dormant.

Observed a Pentatama rufipes (Forest Bug), member of the order Hemiptera (Bugs) in the stink bug family Pentatomidae.

21 March 2013, 14:10 CDST

Art Fleming Trail.
51ºF wind NW mild

I observed ice on the stream at the 1st bridge.

20 March 2013, 14:50 CDST

Art Fleming Trail, Danville IL
40ºF Partly Cloudy NNW and Blustery

Today is the first day of spring.

03-20-2013 001.
Robins searching for food.

I spottedf 3 Tardus migratoris (American Robins) searching for food in the meadow, 1 Passer domesticus (Mourning Dove) in the ticket.

I also observed that all of the trails were heavily traveled by Deer.







03-20-2013 007.
New buds on a bramble cain.



03-20-2013 002.
Moss

03-20-2013 006.
Ferns

Vegetation is slowly starting to show. Mosses are starting to show. Brambles are starting to bud.







03-20-2013 005.
Looking downstream from the bridge.

03-20-2013 004.
Looking upstream from the first bridge.



03-20-2013 003.
Algae in the stream.

 



I observed a Picoides pubescens (Downey Woodpecker) on a tree in the marshy area.

On exiting the trail I saw 16 Robins foraging in the meadow. I also observed an unidentified bird.





16 March 2013, 14:15 CDST

Art Fleming Trail, Danville IL
45º and overcast. Wind out of the West

Had an incidental sighting of 3 Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer). I was going to work at 0330CDST where I saw them The neighbors at 2100 Crestview Ave have set out a feeding station and salt lick.

3-16-2013 001. Mourning Dove

I went to the 1st bridge from the Crestview access. Along the way I spotted 3 Tardus migratorius (American Robins), 2 Passer domesticus (House Sparrow), 2 Zenaida macroura (Mourning Dove) and 1 Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal).

At the bridge I observed algae growing in the stream. The algae was suspended by an air bubble. It was brownish green in color.

Past the bridge I found a patch of Cystopteris fragilis (Brittle Bladder fern).

15 March 2013, 08:30 CDST

3-15-2013 001.
 Looking at the bridge entrance

Art Fleming Trail, Danville IL
35º and overcast

It snowed last night and snow was still covering to all the trees.

I could hear various unidentified birds.



I did see 2 Corvus brachuyrhynchos (American Crows) flying over the woods.


3-15-2013 002. Looking over the woods