Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 27 October, 2008
Time: 1300-1330
Location: Down the Mill Stream, in a park.
Weather: Sunny, warm.
The ducks keep creeping closer even though we haven’t been sitting very long. Their movement is very surreptitious. One of the males just dove into the water and came up clapping his bill, like he got something tasty. He keeps doing it, over and over. The ducks to the right of the pond are the peaceful ones (one has even fallen asleep), while the ones to the left are very awake and moving around a lot. I moved over closer to the bridge because the ducks there fall asleep and drift towards the shore, and it would be neat to see how close I can get to one. There’s one in particular, who keeps drifting until he bumps against the rocks on the edge of the pond, waking up, and paddling away from the shore, then repeating the process. Now someone is feeding the ducks, and somehow they all know and paddle furiously towards him.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 30 October, 2008
Time: 1430-1445
Location: Fairview Wetland
Weather: Overcast, a little chilly.
A Red-tailed Hawk is soaring over the wetland. It’s difficult to see his red tail because the sun is just a weak shine through the clouds, like a flashlight beam that is about to die. The clouds are all a very uniform dirty white or gray, and it’s comforting to see there isn’t an end to them. In a parking lot across the road the trees are covered in bright leaves that stand out against the green trees behind them and gray sky above them.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 1 November, 2008
Time: 1420-1430
Location: Lane Community College, Eugene.
Weather: Balmy, overcast, slight breeze.
It’s very surprising that the weather is so different from Salem here. Just a few hours ago I was shivering a little bit as it rained in the TIUA parking lot, but here in Eugene it’s overcast, but so warm I don’t need a jacket. A very neutral temperature, that you don’t really have to think about to be comfortable in. The landscape is different too; more very abrupt hills and pines. Drier as well. It could rain in Salem and be perfectly pleasant here.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 2 November, 2008
Time: 1205-1215
Location: Outside Kaneko.
Weather: Raining.
It’s pouring down buckets of rain, and it’s amazing. It’s coming very slightly from the west, and when I turn to the east it feels like I’m turning my back on it. Within a few minutes I’m absolutely soaked, but it’s not cold and it doesn’t really matter. I spin around a few times, laughing, then go back to the door to go inside. A few people are exiting at the same time, and give me strange looks before walking off. When I get back to my room I open my balcony door to listen to the rain.

Observation Nov 2

Phil Colburn
2 November 2008
Time: 1150-1210
Location : Between campus and the train station
Weather: Absurdly rainy

As I walk towards the train station, suddenly the sky opens up and begins to deluge me with buckets of water. I am wearing a raincoat because it was drizzling before, but I am still almost instantly soaked. The trees in front of me lose many leaves instantly, knocked off by the sheer force of the rain. The force of the rain is actually quite impressive. It appears as if all of the rain that should have been falling before is falling all at once. Even though I live in Washington, where it rains all the time, it is rarely this hard.

Observation Oct 31

Phil Colburn
31 October 2008
2430-2450 hours
Location: Around the campus grounds
Weather: Clear
The observations of a Halloween Zombie.

As I shamble across the Campus grounds, on my way to the WISH haunted house, I happen to look up at the sky, and all of the stars are bright and clear. I took a few minutes to sit on a hill and just watch the sky to write an observation about it. It was a very clear night and the stars were uninterrupted, except for the occasional plane and the mild light pollution that comes with Halloween. I believe that I was able to pick out a few constellations, most notably Orion’s Belt and The Big Dipper.
Picture Courtesy of http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/Orion_l.jpg

Observation Oct 30

Phil Colburn
30 October 2008
Location: Near the tree by Gatke Hall
Time: 1020-1040 hours
Weather: Cloudy

I sit under the tree by Gatke and notice that it is almost completely bare now. Where before it was flowering with hundreds of leaves of all shades of yellow, orange, gold, and crimson, there are only a few straggling leaves on the tips of the branches, swaying in the wind and occasionally falling to the ground. Many of the other trees around it are also beginning to lose their leaves. Fall is beginning to end and winter is poking up its ugly head and blowing all of the trees bare.

Observation Oct 29

Phil Colburn
29 October 2008
1100-1120 hours
Location: By the field in front of Goudy
Weather: Cloudy and semi-rainy

I sit next to the doors of Goudy, under the meager rooftop that affords me shelter from the drizzle. As I look across the field, there are only a few ravens hopping around on it, occasionally pecking at the ground. However, beneath the line of grass, there are many insects frantically crawling to avoid death and consumption at the hands (feathers?) of the ravens. Nature always seems to be so. Hardly anything going on within easy sight, but look a little closer and it is teeming with life. For example, if you take a cross section of a rotting log, it could be full of thousands of bugs, whereas you would never notice if you just looked at it.

Rotting log picture courtesy of http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/968/35019961.JPG

Observation Oct 27

Phil Colburn
27 October 2008
Location: Mill Stream
Time: 1300-1330
Weather: Sunny and clear

I am sitting on the edge of the millstream, the destination of our nature walk in class. I am observing one of the female ducks that is searching for food in the millstream. She occasionally pokes her bill into the water, looking for food to eat, and will also occasionally dive to grab certain comestibles. In between searches for food, the duck will serenely sit upon the water, often scratching her head with a webbed foot. The pool that the millstream makes hare is very quiet. There is nearly no current, and the bottom of the pool is littered with orange and red leaves that have fallen from the trees around this area.

Picture courtesy of my webcam

Tyler Starr: 11/01 pm, Botanical Gardens

Tyler Starr

1 November 2008 from 1700-1715

Location: The Martha Springer Botanical Gardens

Weather: 60 ̊ F, slight breeze, cloudy, wet ground from earlier rains

General: The ground of the gardens is covered in leaves soaked in water, squishing as I walk around. Many small birds are very active right now. There is a pack of about 15 small birds that flies from tree to tree, chirping and jumping from branch to branch. I identified a couple of chickadees in the group, but the others were difficult to identify. One bird had a grey body with black head and neck (see picture) , but I couldn’t find a similar bird in the Field Guide. I also got a good view of a very small, plump bird with gray colorings (see picture). As I was about to leave, I saw a gray hummingbird that was sucking nectar from a flower (the one I took a picture of a bee in a couple of weeks ago). It darted very quickly from flower to flower. I saw it go to two flowers on the one plant, then fly toward Sparks and hover over another flower for a moment, and then it flew away to the west. It moved very sporadically, hovering in midair for a brief second, before darting off in another direction.

Tyler Starr: 11/01 am, Mill Stream by Jackson Plaza

Tyler Starr

1 November 2008 from 1215-1230

Location: The steps on Jackson Plaza over the Mill Race

Weather: 60 ̊ F, no wind, cloudy

General: The Mill Stream is extremely low. Far more rocks are visible than usual on the banks and in the middle of the stream. The water is probably about 6 inches deep in the middle, and just an inch or 2 near where I sat. The weeds that usually sway with the current are exposed to the air in many places. Leaves that have fallen from the trees aren’t drifting down the stream and instead gather in large clumps. Yesterday I saw ducks walking around in the Mill Race while feeding, rather than swimming, which was a pretty amusing sight. I think the water is slightly higher today than yesterday, but it is still very low. I wonder if the level is actually controlled by people as I have heard, and I wonder why the water is so low right now. There are two pumpkins that appeared in the stream overnight. A crow is perched on top of Smith, cawing. The sky is covered in gray clouds, which is how it will probably remain for some time now that fall is here and winter is coming.

Mill Stream sunk to a new low

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-31
Location: Bridge from Jackson Plaza across Mill Stream
Time:1535 to 1558
Weather: 59˚F, overcast, grey skies, was raining this morning

What happened to the Mill Stream? The usual 3 to 4 foot deep stream that snaked through campus was now barely ½ foot in the deepest areas. Today, it was a mass of smooth pebbles and mud. I resisted the urge to jump into the empty stream. I wondered if there were some type of obstruction upstream. I wandered as far as the botanical gardens but found the same scene there as well. Could some machinery have affected the flow? The water was depressingly low despite the moderate rainfall today. The ducks were nowhere to be seen, until upon closer observation, I found some near the bridge at Jackson Plaza. They had cleverly sought out the deeper areas of the stream and were feeding. They plodded through mud and joined a larger group of barely 10 wild mallards. They shoveled their yellow beaks through the water and scoured the green sea plants. Vitals must have been hard to come by due to the reduced flow. A drake I noticed was doing small waves with his entire body, splashing water onto his back. After a substantial amount accumulated over his body, he stood, flapping his wings. Following thus, he settled back down into the water with a quick flicker of his black tail. I had seen this behavior before when the water was high. It’s interesting how despite the change in conditions that the mallards still maintain their routines without pause. I also noticed that two drakes were competing over the food, as one would continuously drive the other away.

31 October 2008: Pitter-patter of the Rain

Rose Dickson

31 October 2008

0812 – 0832 hours

Outside Matthews Dormitory on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

51 degrees, rain

             I must admit if you have to wake up in the early morning, there is no better way than the refreshing sound of raindrops outside your window.  As I look out onto Willamette’s cloudy, motionless campus I let the pitter-patter of the rain enliven my sleepy eyes and revive my tiered mind. Directly outside my window lies a rooftop where rain collects and piles. The sprinkling of raindrops creates ripples intertwining and disappearing throughout the whole. The quicker the rain falls the smaller the ripples become, this smallness creates a sparkling feeling and gives constant action to the eye. The smell of an autumn rain is unlike any other. There is a cool, natural aroma diffused through the air when the heavy rain hits the fallen leaves. The sound, the smell and the sight of rain are pleasant sensations to wake up to on an October morning, however, the touch of rain when walking to class becomes a dreaded misfortune.

 

30 October 2008: mmm Rotten Pumpkins

Rose Dickson

30 October 2008

1205 – 1230 hours

Matthews Dormitory on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

50 degrees, overcast

            Walking into my room after a wonderful lunch, I suddenly get the feeling of vomit in the back of my throat as I inhale a rotting smell. Last week my friends and I carved pumpkins in the hope that they would last us right up until Halloween. This smell now entering my nose informs me that our hopes have been diminished. As I check on my pumpkin that I cleverly carved to resemble my cat Otis, I notice dilapidation of his face. The entire outline of my carving has turned a festering brown color and it looks like this is only a hint to what I will find inside. I open the lid and cover my nose as I am confronted by a blunt smell and sight.  The inside of my pumpkin has now completely turned to a moldy mess, dripping in soggy condensation. Well, in accordance with Halloween, it is defiantly a much scarier sight than before, however, this is one scary sight I do not want in my room any longer. I confess that it is time to take out my rotten pumpkin and am reminded to have patience next year, so that maybe my pumpkin will actually last all the way through to Halloween. 

29 October 2008: Pumpkin Tree

Rose Dickson

29 October 2008

1832 – 1904 hours

19745 Wildwood Dr. West Linn, OR, USA

50 degrees, clear

             Pulling into my driveway in West Linn, OR, I immediately notice an extreme difference from the last time I visited. The tree outside my house has turned completely pumpkin orange. It seems that the timing could not have been better, with the anticipation for Halloween in the air, but the quickness of the change really startled me. The last time I visited home was Sunday the 26^th, it is only three days later and this tree has completely transformed. Most tree’s on Willamette University campus have become a beautiful mix of yellow, orange, red and small hints of green, the oddity about this tree, here in West Linn, is that each leaf is exactly the same solid orange. I wonder if I had been home all along whether I would have realized the change so drastically? Am I incorrect in assuming this hasn’t happened at Willamette? It seems that immediate changes upon return to a specific place seem more substantial, in the mind’s eye, than an observed gradual change overtime in one place. This small display of that understanding also can represent itself on a broader spectrum, if we were to bring back someone dead for hundreds of years, how would they respond to the condition of our earth now? Would they react stronger about climate change than we do?

 

27 October 2008: Rabid Squirrel?

Rose Dickson

27 October 2008

1337 – 1350 hours

Walking past Willamette University’s College of Law on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

63 degrees, clear

            Finishing my colloquium class’s observation of the mill stream in relationship to the larger city of Salem, I walk back to campus and look forward to another days Goudy lunch. As I walk, Tory and I engage in casual conversation of Halloween ideas and out of nowhere a squirrel with a shocking stance thrusts itself at our feet. This encounter was unlike any other I have ever had with a squirrel. Even when I came so close to that baby squirrel, it was a mutual shyness and understanding between us. This time the squirrel seemed to be crazy and rabid. Unfortunately, because the animal shocked Tory and I so bad, we both ran from the situation screaming and did not get to observe farther. However, even with no scientific evidence to support my theory, I would, with reasonable confidence, claim that that squirrel possessed some sort of disease along the lines of rabies and was trying to bite us!

Photo courtesy: http://i.pbase.com/v3/64/603664/2/50930762.squirreltreeeating01b.jpg

Bats!!

H.Waller
Date: 30 october, 2008
Time: 1830
Weather: overcast, 53 degrees, dark
Location: Kaneko

Today as I was walking back from dinner with a friend and we had just crossed over the skybridge and onto the sidewalk leading to the front doors of Kaneko. We were in the midst of chatting about Halloween when, coincidentally, we heard a loud, high pitched screech, and looked up to see a lone black bat swooping back in forth. It appeared to be pacing in the air. I could make out the loopy pattern of the edges of his wings against the moonlit sky behind. The bat was about 6 or 7 inches long, wings included. I wished I could see it more closely because have never really seen a bat's face up close. What a perfect Halloween eve observation!

Birds in the trees

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-30
Location: South of Olin’s entrance
Time: 1603-1615
Weather: 54˚F, clear skies

Cedar waxwings have been the predominant birds soaring over campus today. They filled the air with high chirps and melodious songs in celebration of autumn . . . or maybe to attract mates. I found a different sort of birds this afternoon that offered a pleasant view of variety from the waxwings. These small birds appeared like little puffballs of feathers with dark caps on their head, yet they glided effortlessly from the trees to the south of Olin’s entrance. Indeed, they were black-capped chickadees. As they landed, they nibbled on the underside of the leaves, pecking at the minute insects hidden on the veins of the leaves. A 3-inch bird that landed on a branch barely 2 feet from me was decorated in tan splotches and markings and a white underbelly. The body was more rotund than elliptical, and its beak was a short cone. Perhaps this one was a juvenile chickadee, or a different species all together. Despite their light landings and leniency at feeding, the yellowed leaves fell in abundance as they spritely hopped over the branches. I followed their path as they headed from the “dead tree,” to a sapling, and finally into the oak tree in front of Lausanne Hall’s entrance. Most the trees on the front lawn were shades of burgundy, vermillion, and orange. The maple tree I observed earlier in the year was fully crimson leafed with maroon seeds still hanging downward from the branches.

A silly duck

H.Waller
Date: 27 October, 2008
Time: 1300
Weather: sunny, warmer, 66 degrees
Location: Pringle Park

Today on a walk with our colloquium class we came to a little grassy area that I think is called Pringle Park. I stopped to sit on the edge of a part of the Mill Race where seven ducks were floating in front of me. One of the ducks nearest to me has his bill folded under his wing and is curled up in a very warm looking position. This duck has proven very comical to watch because he keeps opening and closing his eye on the side of his body from which he peers at me and then quickly shuts it again. He has floated to the edge and is now only a foot and a half from the bank. His bright orange feet are hanging straight down motionless into the water. This duck looks like he might be an older one, as the side of his head is a faded grayish brown where the brillant green has declined. Another comical behavior this cozy ball of a duck just allowed me to observe was he abruptly pulled his head out of his feathers, looked straight ahead ans swan a few paces before emitting a cloud of brown waste into the water that slowly dispersed and sank.

Burnt sugar . . . somewhere

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-29
Location: North of entrance of Roger’s Music Center
Time: 1144-1159
Weather: Overcast, 49˚F

Two walkways met at right angles leading to a set of glass doors at the rear (or side) entrance of the music building. A triangle of shrubs decorated the empty area between the concrete paths. Here, I observed a blue-grey needled Noble Blue fir tree, looking quite frosty in the chill of the autumn air. The interior leaves nearer the trunk were a familiar evergreen green. The needles contrasted the pale brown branches. The 30=foot tree seemed to naturally grow in a conical form. The underlying shrubberies were of particular interest to me as when I passed by, a sickly saccharine scent of burnt sugar caught in the air. Several 4-foot shrubs were decorated with green leaves arranged radially about a small pale red bud. Almost most of them had the similar parallel venation, except for one in a rusty color of decay. The ovate leaves had pinnate venation and were edged in white. Most apparent was the rusty orange color that painted the plant. The bitten leaves curled inward and appeared dried. The bark was yellowed with some brown curls barely attached. From the damage on the leaves, I would think that some parasite or insect was attacking the shrub, but due to the bronzed coloration, I am equally inclined to designate the damage as the result of a disease. Either way, this plant is most likely not going to make it past winter.