Week 10: All Good Things Must Come to an End

Date: Sunday, June 9, 2013

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Temperature: 43ºF

Time: 9:00 AM -10:00 AM

Location: Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, WA

Today is a day to explore the intersection of language and natural history – as a result, a game of taboo. Below are three organisms that I will describe without scientific terminology, can you guess what they are?

Mystery Organism #1

Some may call it a poor man’s Christmas decoration centerpiece, but it is only found near water. It sits upright and has stripes as a zebra would, but when mature, it has needles sticking out from every which way.

Answer: Giant Horsetail, Equisetum telmateia

Mystery Organism #2

It perches up high, scouring the premises, and guarding its territory. If something is amiss, a flash of red appears, and a jet black figure swoops in. Fueled by testosterone, aggressive behavior ensues.

Answer: Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

Mystery Organism #3

Plagued by seasonal affective disorder, this organism craves the sun. In fact, morning to night, it can be found sunbathing. It is a professional when it comes to hide and seek, especially in the mud, but sometimes it has trouble hiding its fondness for bright yellow.

Answer: Eastern Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta picta

How did you do? Perhaps this gave you a new perspective to natural history or to the organisms themselves!

As the title of the post suggests, this is the final blog post of the quarter. Throughout this quarter my site has continued to surprise me with phenological changes and overturned my misconception that natural history required stepping out of the boundaries of the city. In fact, the accurate practice of natural history is more dependent on the person executing it rather than the specific location or size of location. While Seattle is a unique kind of city, I was surprised by how much the Puget Sound Region had to offer in terms of wildlife and its rich geological history. Many of the well-known phenomena (or stereotypes) like the weather patterns of the Puget Sound, can be explained by an understanding of natural history. Knowing a natural place requires keen observation, but also repeated observation. One might think of the natural place as a person. To know a person well, one must continually interact with them and sometimes figuratively “dig deep” for knowledge. To know someone better, one can broaden the scale and get to know their other friends and family. The same goes with intimately knowing a natural place. It is a dynamic and long-term process and often, the more you get to know, the more appreciation and awe you hold. It requires a lot of hands-on interaction (e.g. turning over logs or moving thickets) and an open attitude. Knowing a place well can then be enhanced by scientific knowledge, which can fuel a greater passion and understanding of the location –as long as a desire for discovery persists.

A final look at my UBNA observation site. 

Week 8: Knock, knock. Spring is here!

Date: Saturday, May 25, 2013

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Temperature: 45ºF

Time: 9:00 AM -10:00 AM

Location: Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, WA

It’s time to take a look at how things have changed over the course of the quarter! Here’s a before and after view of my observation site. Notice how the observation site transitions from bare to lush green!

Left, view from week 1. Right, view from week 8. The forest floor is now completely covered in grasses, shrubs, and horsetails and all of the trees are draped with leaves.

 Left, view from week 1. Right, view from week 8. The grasses and Yellow Iris in the marsh are prolific growers and after a couple of weeks, the surface of the marsh is barely visible because of all of the foliage.

The wave of cotton-like seeds from the Black Cottonwoods have diminished and the foam from the Meadow Spittlebugs has also gone away (they must have hatched!). There are many, many gnats (Dipterid) flying about and there are spider webs along many of the branches. The Himalayan Blackberry flower buds are almost ready to bloom. Despite all of these exciting changes, the main action today was focused on one thing – nest building.

It’s actually become quite difficult to find birds now that there is so much foliage. The grasses have grown up to head height (a little over five feet)! But before I get to the nest building, I want to share a few little surprises I found while trying to follow the birds.

Hiding between two shrubs and growing on a dead log was some Artist’s Conch (Ganoderma applanatum). Since it was growing underneath a Black Cottonwood and commonly grows on poplar trees, I would presume the dead branch fell from the Black Cottonwood sometime earlier. There were around six spore bodies growing on the dead branch and they weren’t more than 2 inches wide. The Artist’s Conch had matured so the top-side was a red-brown color and the underside is its characteristic white that can be used as a drawing medium. Each spore body seemed to start growing from crevices in the branch or at a branch knot.

Tucked away are many Artist’s Conch spore bodies!

The second surprise was also a fungus find. In the leaf litter where I had been looking for invertebrate a few weeks ago, a patch of Mica Cup (Coprinellus micaceus) has sprung out of nowhere. The cluster of Mica Cup is growing near the underground roots of a Black Cottonwood. To confirm that the Mica Cup is new, I took a look at their gill color, which is currently a white to light brown color. As the Mica Cup ages and the spores mature, the gills will turn black.

A cluster of Mica Cup growing along the underground root of a Black Cottonwood.

Now, the only reason I had stumbled upon these fungi is because I was trying to observe a White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys). The first thing that caught my eye was the black and white stripes moving from one branch to another. This White-Crowned Sparrow was hopping from branch to branch within a Himalayan Blackberry shrub and neatly dodged all of the spines. It would peck at the branches every so often and would even hang upside down on a branch. My guess is that it was finding twigs to build a nest nearby and marking its territory when it sang.

A White-Crowned Sparrow (center of picture) that continued to hop along branches and overturn leaves.

Meanwhile, up in the sky, a Bald Eagle (Halieaeetus leucocephalus) flew by carrying a foot-long branch and headed for its nest. Also flying by were a pair (one male and one female) of Northern Shovelers. The pair flew back and forth between the marsh area in my observation site and a nearby pond. It was difficult for me to tell if they were just feeding at different spots, finding a nesting location, or finding vegetation to add to their nest. The sky was also dotted with Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) and Violet-green Swallows. Being the social birds they are, they flew in an irregular pattern up above, chattering away and also darting around to eat insects. I was surprised that the two species of swallows seemed at peace with each other even though they were competing for the same food resource.

Social barn and violet-green swallows flying high above my head.

At the marsh, which is now swamped with tall grasses, some Eastern Painted Turtles were sunbathing on their usual log. Their necks were stretched up to maximize the amount of surface area that the sunlight could reach. The Marsh Wren that lives among the Cattails has probably completed its nest because all he did today was hop around the shore and peck along the ground for insects. The Marsh Wren was no longer flying about from one Cattail to another, trying to acquire cotton and twigs for its nest. Also perched at his usual spot was a male Red-Winged Blackbird, watching over his territory and occasionally making a call if another male Red-Winged Blackbird got too close.

A male Red-Winged Blackbird guarding its territory.

The last thing that caught my eye today was a huge toppled over Black Cottonwood tree. Since it was a little farther out from my site, I hadn’t noticed it until now. The tree could have been toppled over a few weeks ago during the thunder and windstorm. It is a massive tree that is now partially blocking the water flow between Lake Washington and the little marsh nearby. The now stagnant waters appear to be home to many gnats. Since the area has experienced a great disturbance, many Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) have begun to grow.

Even an impressive Black Cottonwood is no match for the extreme weather nature brings.

It is incredible how much my observation site has transformed throughout the past eight weeks. It seems like just yesterday that I entered the site and brown was the major color I saw, but now the grasses are my height and almost every square inch of ground is covered in green. Not to mention, the bird activity (and bird sounds) have tripled over the past eight weeks. When I first began my observations, there were few birds flying about, but this week it is clearly nesting season and many birds are building themselves a new home. Not to mention, the fungi, lichen, and insects have begun to proliferate, which makes the site dynamic and always interesting to observe. In addition to the significant changes in the environment, my identification skills have exponentially grown. I am now able to appreciate many of the intricate interactions that occur at my site!

Week 7: A Little Decoration for the Trees

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2013

Weather: Partly Cloudy, Windy

Temperature: 47ºF

Time: 12:00 PM -1:00 PM

Location: Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, WA

Back at Union Bay Natural Area this week! Amidst all of the cotton flying around, here’s the view of my observation site this week.

A beautiful spring day at my observation site.

I got a firsthand look at how destructive an invasive plant, the Himalayan Blackberry, can be. When I first entered my site, I noticed that a large branch of an apple tree had split and was only attached to the rest of the tree by a few fibers. After looking down, I realized that the branch had gotten too heavy because many Himalayan Blackberry twigs were weighing it down.

Besides that tragic sight, the most noticeable change was how tall all the plants were growing. The plants are sort of like children, you turn around for one second (in my case, went to a different site for a week) and suddenly everything doubles in size. The grasses and sedges are now at the height of my shoulders. Also, on the base of leaves and on various branches, I noticed a milky-white foam has appeared. It turns out to be the spittle of a Meadow Spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius). The nymph form of the spittlebug is actually inside the foam as it hides from predators and shields itself from the environment’s varying temperatures.

A few spittlebugs in their nymph form.

Up above were some American Crows flying in the area, fighting over food scraps as they clawed at each other. Perhaps it was because I visited my site at a later time than usual, but I noticed a disproportionately large number of crows compared to any other bird species.

Meanwhile, as I looked around, I saw many leaves emerging from a Black Cottonwood tree. The leaves are especially glossy in color when they have just eclosed from the leaf bud. The orange and red leaf buds I had mentioned in a previous post have also gotten larger and there are many more of them.

The Bitter Cherry tree has also grown in size as its twigs now extend over the trail. Many fruiting bodies have formed and they are changing from a green to yellow color.

Bitter Cherry fruit that has changed from a green to yellow color.

There was all sorts of activity occurring in the marsh. There are now many Yellow Water Lilies covering the water surface as they grow larger in size. The Yellow Irises have proliferated in the marsh and are currently flowering in earnest. While it is a pretty sight, the Yellow Iris is an invasive species, which means it is taking many types of resources from the native plants nearby. It is rather sad to see that it has actually infiltrated almost every corner of the marsh.

Yellow irises growing and blooming everywhere in the marsh.

There were two Eastern Painted Turtles residing on a log and I’ve come to notice, their favorite position is to actually angle themselves upwards and stretch their head as far out as possible. I’m still unsure why this position is ideal because the turtles simply freeze in that pose for the length of my stay at my observation site. They are not feeding nor interacting, but perhaps this is the best way to maximize the surface area that sunlight can hit, so they can stay warm.

On another log, I saw a Mallard nest. What first caught my attention was that the male Mallard looked like it had bit one of the ducklings and the female Mallard became highly aggressive. The female flapped its wings and bit the male fervently until the male finally flew away. After that agitation, I realized the female Mallard was protecting at least six ducklings in the nest and each of them was getting cleaned by their mother. When the mother was finished, all of the ducklings got into a line and followed their mother out of the nest and swam out towards the lake.

A Mallard’s ducklings following their mother in a single file line.

Nearby was a busy Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) that was hopping along the shore of the marsh to feed on small insects. After feeding, it would grab twigs and bits of cotton and then fly back into the Cattails. The Marsh Wren was working hard to build its nest!

As I mentioned before, bird activity was pretty low today, probably an artifact of my later visit. There were some Red-Winged Blackbirds making calls far out in the distance and Canadian Geese flying overhead. There were also some American Coots dabbling farther out in the lake. In addition, many Savannah Sparrows were flying from branches to the grassier areas. They were probably attending to their nests and for fear of stepping on a nest, I decided to stay out of the grassier areas.

One Savannah sparrow actually led me right to what I was trying to find. Today’s assignment is to look out for fungi and lichens and the sparrow was perched right on a tree covered in lichen.

My helpful lookout for the day, the Savannah Sparrow.

I had spent most of my time searching around logs and the base of trees for mushrooms, but with no luck. It turns out there were many fascinating lichen to look at instead. On an apple tree were three types of lichen. The first was the Hammered Shield Lichen (Parmelia sulcata), a foliose lichen. It is a gray-green lichen with rounded lobes. The lobes have ridges and depressions, so it looks like it has been hammered. The lichen was growing in patches on the branches and tree trunk. It would grow on a branch node and then expand outwards. When the lichen was growing on a branch, it would only grow on one edge of the branch instead of completely enveloping a branch.

An example of Hammered Shield Lichen growing on an apple tree branch.

The second type of lichen was the Oakmoss Lichen (Evernia prunastri), a foliose lichen. This type of lichen was not as prevalent on the tree and only grew at the locations in which a branch was split to become two new branches. The lichen is a green color with a yellow tinge on the top side and white on the bottom side. It grows in a forked, branching pattern. The lichen was also very thin and papery in texture. The last type of lichen was the Common Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina), another foliose lichen. This lichen grew in small patches, only on the edges of the branches. It appeared to grow in little yellow-orange disc shapes, but were very tightly packed in one location.

It was interesting to see how all of the lichens occupied the same branches, but each had their own niche with the Hammered Shield Lichen being the most prevalent.

Left, the Oakmoss Lichen growing on an apple tree branch. Right, all three types of lichens residing together on one apple tree branch.

I also spotted another form of lichen, a crustose lichen called Phlyctis argena. This lichen grows in white circles and ovals on the trunk of the Red Alder and looks like it’s a part of the trunk. The lichen has a felty texture. I’m not sure if there is a studied relationship between this lichen and the red alder, but I didn’t realize I have been using the white patches of lichen as a way to ID the tree.

The signature patches of white on the Red Alder bark are actually a lichen!

Week 6: Birding Time: Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Date: Saturday, May 11, 2013

Weather: Sunny

Temperature: 65ºF

Time: 10:00 AM -12:30 PM

Location: Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

What better to do on a sunny day than go bird watching? Especially if you happen to be at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge! This is my final field trip of the quarter and it was a fantastic one.

One of the most exciting things about the wildlife refuge was the diversity of habitats in this estuary. This makes it an ideal location to see migratory birds, some of which are a real treat because they cannot be found at Union Bay Natural Area. Here’s a general view of some of the environments that I encountered including some meadows, snags, and marshlands.

Views from the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. It is teeming with wildlife since it is an estuary habitat.

The first bird I learned to ID was the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) and the Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla). They were both residing on a Pacific Willow, which is natural since they tend to favor wet areas. In addition, both were very defensive of their territory. Since they reside in similar areas, it would seem like there would be constant conflict, but I was informed that they may reside in different areas of the tree, which provides separate niches for the warblers.

The marsh area was teeming with other wildlife as well. An American Robin was loudly calling from the trail and then flew off to perch on a Red Alder tree. On the Cattails a few male Red-Winged Blackbirds were watching their territory closely. A pair of Canadian Geese also flew by very close to ground. In front of me, a Song Sparrow was eating small insects in the marsh grasses, jumped on a log, and then flew off. On the water itself, many Pacific Forktails (Ischnura cervula) were flying about and one in particular was curled up and floating on the water. It was unclear to me what it was doing. In addition to dragonflies, many Common Water Striders skipped around on the water. On the bank, next to a Red Huckleberry was a huge shrub of Himalaya Blackberry that was being pollinated by a Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii).

As we walked further into a meadow area, I saw a large group of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) soaring over the grasses and sedges with their beaks down, in search of food. They were a loud, boisterous bunch. Also, just a little farther was a lake with Mallards, Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), and Northern Shovelers that were swimming in circles with their heads down and raking the water surface in order sweep in food.

We then continued on the path to a grassy area with two white-colored barns where all sorts of bird action was going on. First and most notable were the swallows. There were many Violet-Green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina) and Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) with bright orange throats flying around and it was an incredible sight!

A hubbub of activity as these swallows feed and build their homes.

Most of the Cliff Swallows were flying about in a jerky pattern in open air over seven feet off the ground, possibly because they were feeding on insects in the air. In addition, they would bring small amounts of mud from the nearby meadow back to the barn in order to build their nest under the eave of the roof. These are very social creatures and there was never a minute of rest for these cliff swallows.

A Cliff Swallow’s nest, composed of grasses and mud.

The nests were beautifully created with just enough space for each swallow to reside in, but the nests were built in clusters and a whole colony of cliff swallows considered this place home. On occasion, it looked like multiple cliff swallows would be working to build a nest together and I think that they would have some familial ties. The cliff swallows would begin by building a ledge on the wall of the building, so they have a spot to stand on. Then they would slowly build a circular outline on the wall as a foundation for their nest. I did not get to stay long enough to see the full creation of a nest, but it seemed like once a cliff swallow had created a foundation, the rest just required adding more mud and grasses. Those cliff swallows with a complete nest would continuously peck at the sides of the nest, perhaps to shape the nest to perfection.

While the cliff swallows were busily attending to their homes, I also saw an interesting aggressive display from some Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Near the trail, a male cowbird with glossy black plumage and a female cowbird were pecking at the ground, feeding on insects and making some whistling noises. Suddenly, another male cowbird swooped in and the original male cowbird on the trail was angered. He immediately spread open his wings in an aggressive display. He flashed his wings open numerous times, but then another male swooped in as well. The original male on the trail subsequently chased the female until she flew off to a nearby shrub and all of the males followed suit.

A male brown-headed cowbird was not happy when another male tried to enter his territory. Left, the second male first entered the territory. Right, the aggressive display that ensued.

There was a lot to see near the barn, but we hadn't even reached the estuary yet! So we continued on and saw a Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) sitting in an Elderberry shrub. Flying by in an undulating pattern was also an American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis).

When we finally reached the estuary, I first saw a group of Mallards dabbling. In other words, they would dunk their heads down into the water leaving only their behind up in the air. While underwater, the mallards would use their big bills to scoop away at the bottom of the pond in order to find small insects to eat.

The star of the show was the shore birds. There was a Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) swimming in circles and Yellowlegs (Tringa) (it was difficult to determine it if was a “greater” or “lesser” yellowleg) stalking around the marsh. There was also a large group of Short-Billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus) walking in the marshes. They had extremely long legs and a long bill they would poke into the ground in order to dig out crustaceans. It would rapidly poke its bill in one spot and then slowly walk forward before rapidly poking its bill back into the ground. It was not clear to me how the dowitcher was able to determine where to poke into the ground. Perhaps when crustaceans are present, the mud moves ever so slightly, but enough for the dowitcher to spot its prey. Even though these dowitchers were feeding in a large group, each dowitcher had its own designated territory. I saw one dowitcher fly into the territory of another and immediately the owner of the territory made a call and expanded its wings in an aggressive stand. All of the dowitchers were spending the day eating and fattening up to prepare for their migration at night. These dowtichers also all had a breeding plume with speckled brown on top and an orange neck and breast.

Some breeding dowitchers fattening up for a long migration up north.

There were so many interesting and beautiful birds to look at at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. And, to top it off, our field trip ended with a visit to Mt. Rainier, so I’ll sign off with this breathtaking view.

Week 5: Olé! Invertebrates!

Date: Sunday, May 5, 2013 (Happy Cinco de Mayo!)

Weather: Sunny

Temperature: 62ºF

Time: 9:30-10:30 AM

Location: Union Bay Natural Area

So much seems to have happened over the past two weeks! I’m back at the Union Bay Natural Area and spring is in full swing. Green is in! Here’s a look:

Green has swept through the area. So lush!

Everything seems to have doubled in size. The Giant Horsetails are at hip height and almost all sterile stems. The grasses have also grown to about upper thigh height. The Pacific Willow I had mentioned two weeks ago has doubled in size and become a perch for a Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii). Meanwhile, American Crows and American Robins were zooming by.

A Lincoln’s sparrow enjoying its perch on a Pacific Willow.

One of the Black Cottonwood trees in my observation site now has many orange and dark brown leaf buds on its twig. Emerging from the leaf buds are small green leaves in a whorled pattern. The leaves of the tree in general have increased in size. In addition, there were some dried Red Alder catkins hanging on the branches of the Black Cottonwood indicating yet another plant I had missed earlier! Unfortunately, I also noticed the English Ivy growing along the ground has also crept up the trunk of the Black Cottonwood.

A new leaf emerging on the Black Cottonwood tree.

Nearby is also a Bitter Cherry (Prunu emarginata) tree, which seems to be growing its fruit. Protruding from among its sepals is a round green body. Maybe in a week or two when the fruit has matured, I can confirm this.

Fruit from a Bitter Cherry?

Underneath the Bittery Cherry is a new shrub. Its leaves are very lobed, serrate, alternate, and the underside is pubescent. The twigs are also hairy as well. This one will have to await identification!

The greatest changes have occurred in the marsh area – it is covered in green. Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) has infiltrated the area, growing among the Broadleaf Cattails. It’s green leaves are an obvious contrast compared to the yellow dried leaves of the Broadleaf Cattails. A Red-Winged Blackbird was also perched on the cattails. The grasses growing in the marsh are flourishing and Himalaya Blackberry is prolific in the shallow areas of the marsh. On a log, I also saw a row of Eastern Painted Turtles sunbathing. Each occasionally shifting in position and letting themselves drop right into the water.

Eastern Painted Turtles all enjoying the sunshine.

A Scouler’s Willow (Salix scouleriana) has also grown large enough for me to see and there are many Yellow Pond Lilies beginning to grow in the marsh.

But, the focus of the day is invertebrates, so let me describe what I found.

First, I dug around in some leaf litter and found a few Western Thatching Ants (Formica obscuripes). They were incredibly tiny (not more than 1 mm in length), but were easily identified by their red head and thorax and black abdomen and legs. Despite being tiny, they were very nimble when it came to maneuvering around in the leaf litter. I’m not sure if they were following pheromones left by a previous ant or some other scent, but each ant had very directed movement.

A small area, but many surprises found here!

Also in the leaf litter was a ½ inch long European Earwig (Forficula auricularia), which continued to burrow into the ground every time I tried to unearth it. On a nearby sedge was a Western Yellow Jacket (Vespula pensylvanica) crawling about. There was also a Common House Fly (Musca domestica) on a nearby leaf. It had red eyes with four light gray stripes on the top of the thorax. It had iridescent wings that were held in a triangular shape when at rest. My guess is that it was a female fly because her body was a light yellow color, perhaps filled with eggs waiting to be laid. Her movement was also slow and when she was flying away from me she moved in a serpentine shape.

At the center is a Common House Fly with a pale yellow body instead of the usual gray body.

Next was the marsh area. Here, I saw a rolled up Common Pillbug (Armadilldium vulgare). It was gray and had many plates. It was out in the open sun and despite my rustling of the nearby soil, it remained rolled up in a ball. This was either in defense or because it was dead.

Near the center of the photo is a rolled up Common Pillbug.

There were also Giant Crane Flies (Holorusia rubiginosa) flying around from one blade of grass to another. On the water were some Common Water Striders (Gerris). They had slender bodies and extremely long hindlegs. Due to the surface tension of water, they could stay on the water’s surface. Their movement was very jerky. The water strider would position itself, then hop to its next location on the water. I imagine they were feeding on small insects in the water because there were many of them in the area.

The final insect seen was a beautiful Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa). The four wings were mostly brown with a white border along the edge. Prior to the white border was a border of blue spots and towards the top of the wing were two white spots. With two antennae subtly moving, the butterfly was sitting on the trail, briefly spreading its wings, but more often folding its wings upright. After a while, it flew off in a swooping motion, which occurred every time it flapped its wings.

A Mourning Cloak showing off its charismatic wing pattern.

What a surprise to find so many invertebrate in one small space! All it takes is a closer look.

Week 4: A Weekend Outing!

Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013

Weather: Light rain, sun, and partly cloudy

Temperature: ~40-45ºF

Time: All afternoon!

Location: Olympic National Park (NatureBridge, Port Angeles, WA)

A change in pace for this week’s post! I got the pleasure of visiting the Olympic National Forest for the first time! It was a lovely break from the rigidity of the usual academic schedule. My class stayed at NatureBridge, a learning resource center, and explored the wonders of an Old-Growth Coniferous Forest.

Left, NatureBridge, the location of our overnight stay at the Olympic National Park. Right, enjoying Marymere Waterfall with a few of my classmates.

My observation “site” for this week is specifically the area surrounding the Storm King Trail. Because of the 1500 foot elevation gain in this hike, I was able to appreciate a broad range of ecosystems.

The base of the trail is in the Old-Growth Forest. The area is dominated by Douglas Firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Grand Firs (Abies grandis), and in the wetter regions, Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). Many plants benefited from the shade and coverage provided by the gigantic Douglas Firs. Lady Slipper Orchids (Cypripedium acaule), Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia), Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla), Rock Tripe/Lettuce Leaf Lichen (provides nitrogen for the understory plants!), and Pacific Trillium (Trillium ovatum) are just a few examples of the beautiful understory flora I was able to observe. Not only were these plants receiving shade from the canopy, but the trees also provided nutrients to the understory plants. An accumulating organic layer of soil is found on the tops of many trees and falls when the tree is disturbed.

Pacific Trillium, one of the many plants seen in the forest understory.

My favorite example of facilitation was the nurse logs. These logs provide structural diversity since many plants can thrive of these logs. During my visit in the Olympic National Park, I saw that the nurse logs were home to young Western Hemlocks (Tsuga heterophylla) who were taking advantage of higher habitat, but also racing against time to generate a strong root foundation before the nurse log decomposed. The nurse log was also home to Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), and Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza). Another resident of the nurse log was the Stair-step Moss (Hylocomium splendens), which can also provide moisture to the trees.

The nurse log provides a diverse habitat for many plants, such as the Western Hemlock, to grow.

As I began my ascent on the trail, the landscape immediately began to change. There was a stark transition from a forest ground covered with endless Sword Ferns (Polystichum munitum) to a sudden prevalence of Salal (Gauitheria shallon). This was an important indicator that the soil had changed from being very nitrogen rich to nitrogen poor. I also noticed the plants along the path had changed as well, especially since the trail faces the south. Besides the now familiar Dwarf Oregon Grape, there were many Pea Plants, a fingertip small yellow Mimulus flower, Twinflower (Linnaea borealis), Stonecrop (Sedum), and a myriad of mosses. All of these different plants created a colorful mosaic on the rocks along the side of the trail, but the image is deceiving. It is conceivable that there is actually intense competition going on between each of these plants in order to establish its own niche and keep other plants out. Every surface area on the rocks with exposure to sunlight was covered. Many Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) also flourished as the canopy disappeared, which provided a perfect spot for a Band Tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) to rest. My hiking group also spotted a Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria biflora) and an intriguing black Millipede.

In addition, there appeared to have been some disturbance in the area. As we climbed higher, we seemed to be following a path of Douglas Firs that had charring on their trunks, which indicates a history of fire disturbances in the area. Not to mention, there were also areas cleared of undergrowth, which may have been a result of the fire. Disturbances are simply the way of life in nature and provide many new niches to be filled. I imagine that a forest succession will occur in the area over time.

As we hiked up our last switchback, we saw some native Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus) and a native Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglassii) quickly dodging off of the path. Beyond some Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), there was also an interesting example of predation. The parasite, Douglas fir dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium douglasii), was siphoning water and nutrients off of the Douglas fir. Because this parasite can only disperse seeds in the near vicinity, my guess is that all of the nearby Douglas firs are in danger.

By the time we got to our viewpoint, we began to see some Pacific Silver Fir (Abies amabilis), which means that we may have entered a new vegetation zone.

Hidden among the trees was a beautiful view of Lake Crescent.

It was an exciting and fruitful hike! I leave you with a view of the intimidating Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) that I often found disturbed as a result of deer consumption and another gorgeous view from the area we stayed at.

Left, Scary Devil’s Club that is actually a food source for deer and elk. Right, at the base of the Marymere Waterfall.