March 3, 2023
14:15 to 16:15
Cool but sunny until later in the day, when it turned overcast (but no precipitation)
This Vertebrate Biology trip gave students the opportunity to learn about coverboard surveys with SSU alumna Julie Wittmann.
Our visit happened relatively late in the afternoon, so we’d be able to park up at the main parking lot after the bus with schoolchildren left for the day. (We’d intended to start a bit earlier and park at the lower lot, but the footbridge that would have taken us from that lot to the trail system had been damaged the previous week by some folks who wanted to see the snow that had fallen, and were angry that they weren’t allowed to wander the preserve unaccompanied by a naturalist. So, they destroyed the bridge. Yeah, that makes sense. . . . and they wonder why the community isn’t allowed open access to the preserve? It seems pretty obvious to me).
From the main lot, we took the western trail, checking under coverboards all along the way. We found an interesting array of wildlife: two small Western Forest Scorpions (including one that seemed impossibly small – maybe 3/4″ when fully extended), a Western Fence Lizard, a nest of baby mice or voles.
Probably my favorite friend of the day was this gorgeous little Western Toad. (Although I also love those little scorpions. But this was a vertebrate field trip, haha).
On our way to Copeland Creek, we stopped to do some dip-netting, and found a very large polypore.
We continued down to Copeland Creek. Not a lot was seen here, but it was pretty and pleasant to be beside the running water, and I saw a few gorgeous mushrooms: some type of Waxycap, and a Lilac Oysterling. Of course, there were also loads of great plants, and another small scorpion (about an inch and a half long).
From the creek, we hiked up the Woodland Trail, up to Turtle Pond, where Black Phoebe and Yellow-rumped Warbler were hunting over the water. From the little dock, one of the students saw a largish frog (maybe red-legged), but I was unable to locate it and get any photos.
Then, back to the Nature Center, checking a few more coverboards along the way.
While we didn’t see quite as many species as on my last visit, it was a great outing. (And my hip made it through the entire hike, so YAY)! We also picked up a few more great species on the drive down the mountain, including some Columbian Black-tailed Deer, an American Kestrel, and some sort of large hawk that I wasn’t able to ID from the car (but was probably a Red-tailed).
Species List
Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum), California Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus), Coastal Woodfern* (Dryopteris arguta), Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum), Western Forest Scorpion (Uroctonus mordax), Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas), Mountain Sweet Cicely* (Osmorhiza berteroi), Cherry-Red Waxy Cap* (Hygrocybe laetissima), Cramp Balls* (Annulohypoxylon thouarsianum), Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor), Lilac Oysterling (Panus conchatus), Common Cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum), Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis), California Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), Broad-leaved Cattail* (Typha latifolia), Great Horsetail (Equisetum telmateia), Watercress* (Nasturtium officinale), Great Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Spreading Rush (Juncus patens), Artist’s Bracket* (Ganoderma applanatum), California Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Milkmaids (Cardamine californica), Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), large Buteo (probably Buteo jamaicensis).
*Identification not yet verified
Let me know what you think!