12 September 2008

Springer's Garden Revisited

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 11 September 2008
Time: 1346-1404
Location: Springer's Garden, Willamette University
Weather: Clear, sunny, 86°F

I was in the garden today again hoping for a closer analysis of the oxeye daisies and their large population of honeybees. Intriguingly, most of the flowers that were pollinated were of the aster family, all with ray and disk flowers as common structures. A bushtit flew over the fence toward the Mission Mill as I moved south. Walking closer to the Sparks Center, I discovered a western grey squirrel carrying two fruits or nuts arranged like a dumbbell in its mouth. It was the same tree from where I saw the barn swallow yesterday. It made a hoarse, sharp bark while twirling its tail clockwise. Then, it carefully jumped down the trunk, head down. Looking at the leaves of the tree it was in, they were pinnately lobed, so it must have been an oak tree. Thus, the fruit the squirrel was carrying were probably immature/green acorns. Adjacent to the oak, hawthorns were bearing thei slightly wrinkled, maroon fruits. Two or 3 American Robins were hopping along the ground beneath the undergrowth foraging for food. They appeared fully grown with the characteristic vermillion breast. I also managed to find my slug from yesterday, still in its same position, a few feet higher on the ground, partially covered in damp dirt. I wonder if someone decided to kick it up the steps. All over campus, I can hear the maples dropping their leaves. Vibrantly violet morning glories were climbing a trellis neatly, with their blossoms fully opened. As I wandered back toward the Putnum center, I noticed that my bench was free again! However, there were no signs of my squirrel friends. What I thought was a sequoia might not be. It bears a pale yellow fruit 7/8 inch long and 1/2 inch wide at the base, making it look somewhat like a pistachio or gingko nut.

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