Diario de gcastellano

This week, we returned to lab with specimens we collected in the field to photograph and hopefully identify them. Our samples consisted of mostly leaves, twigs, and plant matter, along with several kinds of insects. In the lab, we had access to materials like rulers, so that we could photograph small things next to them for size reference. We hoped this would make it easier for people in the iNaturalist community to help identify our organisms. In addition, we had a dissecting scope with which to view our species. This proved to be a game-changing tool for me, and I found myself putting all of our samples under it to see what things looked like close-up. I first examined an ant under it, which was a light yellow color that I had never seen in an ant before. After doing some research over the weekend, I am fairly certain it was a Citronella ant. I also put a centipede and a millipede under the scope, both of which were fascinating but at the same time rather unsettling to view in that much detail! We also looked at a beetle, which I later identified as a click beetle based on a description of their unique behavior in which they launch themselves several inches into the air, making a clicking noise, when they are stuck on their backs. We had accidentally dropped our beetle on the floor in lab, and it did just that, much to the annoyance of my lab partner who was trying to catch it to put it back onto the table! I also examined a few plants under the dissecting scope. I looked at tree buds and red maple flowers, as well as lichens and mosses. I was amazed and surprised at what the texture of moss actually looks like up close. Overall, the last lab was very intriguing as we were able to get up close and personal with some of the diversity we had discovered in the field the three previous weeks.

Our last day in the field was overcast and a bit drizzly at times, which was a bit disappointing, but it was slightly warmer than it had been the last two outings. After a few days of warmth and sunshine with a nice bit of rain in between, everything was showing sure signs of Spring! The grasses in the field were green and lush, and most of the trees were filled with buds. The reddish buds on the sugar maples made for a beautiful sight as they cast a sort of red aura around the treetops. The yellow birches were also budding and turning a bright yellow-green. It was a bit damp and muddy walking by the hay fields, but once we arrived at our patch of deciduous forest we were met with bright green mosses patching the forest floor. Their appearance, along with the appearances of grasses like the Poverty Oatgrass I discovered last time, looked a bit different now as they were beginning to grow taller blades that had buds on the end. Upon closer inspection of the forest floor, we discovered tiny green chutes peeking up through the soil. I gently pulled one out and noticed that its roots ran parallel to the surface of the ground. The moist soil also made for good cover from the rain for many insects, as we learned upon digging up a small bit of it. We found at least eight different species of insects from a patch of soil only a few square inches in size, including a couple of different beetles and a few spiders. There was one spider we found (though we almost didn't see it) that was perfectly camouflaged on a leaf on the ground. We put the spider (leaf and all) into a container to bring back to lab. We found several more interesting-looking fungi, which we also collected for analysis. We obtained many samples of material we found in our BioCube to revisit during our last lab period in hopes of identifying some of the organisms that were contained within it. We also noticed two holes in the ground in different spots, and we were able to determine based on the pattern of dirt (or lack thereof) around the hole that one was from a mole and the other a vole. I was also lucky enough to catch sight of three different species of birds through binoculars. One appeared to me to be a male blue jay in flight, as it had a vibrant blue color on its tail. Another, perched on a branch on the other side of the stream, was black with bright red spots behind its head. After later research, I was able to identify it as a red-winged blackbird. The third bird I observed was light brown with a faint yellow color on its underside, but I was unable to determine exactly what it was. Perhaps my favorite observation from this week's lab, though, was that there were finally flowers blooming! They were small, but still delicate and beautiful. I photographed one and iNaturalist tagged it as genus Houstonia, or flowering bluets.

Our BioCube is located in the deciduous forest. On our second visit, it was much less windy than it had been the previous week. Because of that, we were able to hear much more during our fifteen minutes of silence. I noticed several bird calls but still have yet to identify exactly which birds they are. There were a variety -- some were shorter and others were longer, and I noticed a variety of pitches, as well. I could actually see one of the birds in the tree far above where I was sitting as I listened. Another difference between the first visit and the most recent was that there were a lot more trees that had started budding by our second visit. According to iNaturalist's identification algorithm, I photographed some buds on a hickory branch. I also noticed, while walking to the forest, a crabapple tree budding. I learned in the first visit that trees in the apple family can be set apart visually by the near-right angles formed by their branches. Walking into the edge of the forest I noticed lots more grasses on the ground, including Danthonia spicata, or Poverty Oatgrass, according to iNaturalist. This grass had a unique two-tone color to it, and almost looked like two different species. I observed it in clumps throughout the forest floor, but it seemed more abundant on the edges of the clearings. I also noticed several different types of moss as I sat at the base of a hickory tree during the silent period. There was a fuzzier-looking moss that was more common at the bases of trees, and a more spindly variety which may be in the genus Polytrichum, according to iNaturalist. Upon sweeping away the leaf cover on the ground and digging a bit, I found some sort of very small insect. It was a dark brown, almost black color, and its exoskeleton appeared a bit shiny. I attempted to photograph it, but it was quite small and much of the detail was lost on my phone's camera, so I was unable to get an identification. Because of the way it moved when I picked it up and the fact that it had many short legs, I would guess that it may be related to a centipede or similar insect. We were also able to find insects when we removed the bark from dead trees, including a very interesting-looking beetle which I documented on iNaturalist. It had a reddish-orange head with black and beige stripes running down the length of its body. We also found holes made by a woodpecker in the bark of the trees, as well. There was a wide variety of fungi that I was able to observe, including a large white mushroom of some sort that was growing on a fallen branch in our BioCube. I also found and photographed Trametes, which had rings of purple-ish and white. I also observed more crowded parchment on some trees which my group guessed were either oaks or hickories. I was amazed by the diversity in the different fungi I found. Finally, one of the members of my group discovered how skunk cabbage got its name, which was rather entertaining!