Tyler Starr
26 October 2008 from 1410-1425
Location: The north bank of the Mill Stream in between Rogers and the library
Weather: 75 ̊ F, little to no wind, completely clear skies
General: I think it’s funny that my hometown received its first snowfall last night, while I am sitting outside in perfect weather on my laptop doing a nature observation. The weather is absolutely perfect. The mallards seem to think so too. It seems that many of the mallards have left us for the winter, and I keep seeing the same 8 (4 male, 4 female) that have not yet left. They are clearly happy with their decision today. They appear very hyper, paddling all over and feeding from the water. Several times, they have had brief scuffles resulting in minor splashing, but I find it hard to believe that it is out of anger on a day like today. The water level of the Mill Stream seems a lot lower today than it was yesterday. I have heard that humans control the water level, and I wonder if this is actually true, because it does seem that the water level fluctuates greatly from day to day. Yellow, orange, and brown leaves frequently float by in front of me. A squirrel is rustling in the bushes behind me, taking advantage of a warm October day. I heard the screech of a Western Scrub Jay as well, coming from the direction of Belknap or the Botanical Gardens. According to the Field Guide, the Scrub Jays remain here all winter, storing acorns for food.
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