Diario de ablevins

My Neighborhood: 18th & 52nd. 2012/28/12.

13:50. I decide that I am going to go outside in my back yard and do a bit of naturalistic studying. I decided to start getting to know the plants and animals of my own home. I began by walking around the south side of the house and taking a photo of each distinct plant that I could pick out. This was to be my first major uploading up pictures from my phone. I definitely am going to do that more often, as it took a large chunk of time to get them all up at once!

First, was the beautiful Lilac Tree (Syringa), whose sweet scent I had come to adore upon walking outside and breathing my first breath of fresh air each day. Second, was the neighbor's beautiful Magnolia Tree (Magnolia). It had few flowers left from its bloom, but it is still one of my favorite trees.

Second, a little patch of English Ivy (Hedera Helix). There were also small yellow Aphids (Aphis nerii) on some of the new, waxy leaves. Perhaps they were eggs, they were too small for me to tell. The insects were nestled inside of bubble nests as well, which further obstructed my vision.

I then saw a Bumblebee (Bombus), which I chased after for a while, but ultimately failed to capture on camera.

Next, I took a photograph of the sole Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale) left in my yard, and while I was taking photos of it, two fruit flies/gnats landed on it! What a lucky find! They appeared to be trying to get pollen off of the flower by rubbing their legs on it.

Then I took a photo of some bluebell flowers (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and a small pea plant that pops off when you touch it, called little western bittercress (Cardamine oligosperma).

Next I went over to a Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) bush on the other side of the yard and took a photo.

I noticed more Ivy on our fence and took a photo, but there was also Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) woven into it as well. This was the last of the plant life that I could find at my house, so I decided to go for a walk.

My next-door neighbor had some lovely fungi that were brown with a dark brown ring on the edge and a small dark brown ring on the interior, but I could not identify it.

I walked along further and saw a patch of weeds growing near a spruce tree. In the weeds was a purple-flowered plant that I do not know well, a purple weed, and a series of aqua colored spiraling plants. One of them had a yellow jacket (Vespula pensylvanica) on it. I snapped a shot of it before it flew off.

Then I found a Pacific Madrone (Arbitus menziesii) trying to grow out from under a double-trunked Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). Below this tree was a strange arrow shaped group of plants with whitish coloration. I was not sure if this was a virus or the natural pattern, but they looked pretty cool!

I then went over to a Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) and saw a caterpillar (unknown genus) that was green on top and brownish on bottom get caught in an orb weaver spider (Araneus diadematus). It was pretty cool watching it eat the spider but I had to get going to see more plants. I found another patch of weeds with a group of six white petaled, yellow centered flowers. They were quite pretty. There was also some wild? grass in the mix there. I feel as though I had seen that kind before. I kept walking and on the pavement by a western swordfern (Polystichum munitum) there was a black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus). It had a black head, black abdomen, and a silvery thorax.

I then found a short, stunted looking Lodgepole Pine (Pinus Contorta). I know it was that kind of Pine because it only had two needles per cluster.

At the end of my journey before I had to go to work I saw some really cool lichen on a stump.

I hope to be able to ID it soon!

Species List:

Lilac Tree (Syringa)
English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)
Bluebell Flowers (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Western Bittercress (Cardamine oligosperma)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)
Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)
Pacific Madrone (Arbitus menziesii)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Western Swordfern (Polystichum munitum)
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus Contorta)
Magnolia Tree (Magnolia)

Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus).
Orb-weaver Spider (Araneus diadematus)
Yellow Jacket (Vespula pensylvanica)
Aphids (Aphis nerii)
Bumblebee (Bombus)