Environmental Study Of Lechtenberg Park

[freeztar]

Excellent! Takk! I have been hearing about Camas as an Native American food for years and never learned to ID it. I won't ever be in doubt again. Sounds like quite a lot of work if one wants to try eating Camas >>>

 

http://www.uoregon.edu/~jmyers1/jmyerspages/camasflower.htm

Paghat's Garden: Camassia quamash

 

:cup: :eek:

 

Camas was very important as a food source indeed. It has even been suggested that the Mima Mounds of Thurston County, WA, were caused by Camas harvesting. The theory suggests that people would travel from afar and have giant bonfires cooking the freshly harvested camas. As the feast ended, the fire would be topped off with soil and 'mounded'. I recommend visiting them if you get a chance Turtle! It's probably a one and a half hour drive for you. :)

[Turtle]

Camas was very important as a food source indeed. It has even been suggested that the Mima Mounds of Thurston County, WA, were caused by Camas harvesting. The theory suggests that people would travel from afar and have giant bonfires cooking the freshly harvested camas. As the feast ended, the fire would be topped off with soil and 'mounded'. I recommend visiting them if you get a chance Turtle! It's probably a one and a half hour drive for you. :eek:

 

I'll have a look into it. I must say that as old and undisturbed as this parkland is, it may have Native American artifacts.

 

Of the 2 links I gave, I thought part of this one sounded fishy. To whit, they say:

Camas blooms in spring and early summer. Native Americans such as the Kalapuya would wait until they bloomed to harvest the bulbs for food. They did this to avoid eating the poisonous variety called Death Camas.

http://www.uoregon.edu/~jmyers1/jmyerspages/camasflower.htm

 

In going through my wildlife book from Readers Digest I realized why I was suspicious; they say this:

Because camas bulbs are not at their best during flowering season, when their blue blossoms set them apart, it was important for Indian food gatherers to recognize subtle differences between the bulbs.

 

If I get back before blooming is over, I'll collect some.

 

As to the Greater Yellowlegs ID, here is a still shot that I think clinches it. Besides the distinct bar on the tail, note the very long bill of the bird on the left. I really need to visit more wetlands.

[freeztar]

If I get back before blooming is over, I'll collect some.

 

Please do! :eek:

I'm not 100% that is Camas...more like 95% sure. :cup:

The photo of the star flowered false solomon seal was telling, but the 'camas' photo does not include the rest of the plant.

 

I'm interested in your post about the death camas. Surely there is a discreet difference before flowering?

 

Here's a nice link:

BEGINNING BOTANY WITH CAMAS

[Buffy]

Gee, I *love* this place! Get a few folks in the room working together and who knows what you can do!

 

Synergism is cool,

Buffy

[freeztar]

Gee, I *love* this place! Get a few folks in the room working together and who knows what you can do!

 

Synergism is cool,

Buffy

 

Well, as they say...

"You can lead a turtle to water, but..."

 

I love this thread! :doh:

[Turtle]

Please do!

I'm not 100% that is Camas...more like 95% sure. :)

The photo of the star flowered false solomon seal was telling, but the 'camas' photo does not include the rest of the plant.

 

I'm interested in your post about the death camas. Surely there is a discreet difference before flowering?

 

Here's a nice link:

BEGINNING BOTANY WITH CAMAS

 

Roger I will bring a whole plant home and scan it rather than photograph it. That's how I got the false solomon seal image. A flat bed scanner is a boon for imaging in detail. :hihi:

 

Gee, I *love* this place! Get a few folks in the room working together and who knows what you can do!

 

Synergism is cool,

Buffy

 

Speaking of creatures gathering, get a few along a stream bank and you're bound to have footprints. :doh: Here's the first photo of a track; the ruler is 6". I have a suspicion of what creature left it, but I thought I'd put it up for everyones' speculation. Several more to follow. >>>

 

Ecology is hot,

:doh:

 

 

 

More 'mystery' tracks; detail upper-left corner >>>

 

[Turtle]

Another flower/plant to ID from Lechtenberg >>>

ps I will add the positions of the bird sightings to the map shortly. The Camas is everywhere you look in the fields West & North of the park.

[Tormod]

This thread is simply beautiful. Keep it up, people!

[Cedars]

Heres somethings I noticed

[Turtle]

Heres somethings I noticed

 

I thought bird tracks too, but I never thought or knew to look for beak pokes. Muchas gracious. :hihi: I suspect the other tracks are Racoon.

 

Racoon track ID >>> Animal Tracks - Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Animal track ID home-page >> Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den

 

Here's a short video clip as I break brush in the park interior. >>> YouTube - Breaking Brush http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af9OrixsDAY

 

I'm going to double check the tape for some more telling details on the Black-crowned Night-Heron ID. My audubon says they nest in groups so I will keep an eye out for others next time I check the nest. If I come at the tree from the opposite direction I can get some Sun on the bird(s) for better photographs. :camera: :)

[Turtle]

The map is updated and viewable in post #22 or the Science Gallery/Members Categories/Turtle. >>> Science Gallery

 

Quite a bit of this uh...plant in the forest, particularly growing (uh...hanging?) on the Alders. Lichen is part fungi and part algae living symbiotically while attached to other plants; they do not draw nutrients from the host plant, rather use them for attachment. The fungi part of lichen gives the structure while the algae makes the food using photosynthesis. I have to look around a bit, but I think you can make a dye from lichen. :) :hihi:

 

Staghorn Lichen - Letharia vulpina

 

Article on wildlife use of lichens >>> wildlife use of lichens

 

[Cedars]

 

As to the Greater Yellowlegs ID, here is a still shot that I think clinches it. Besides the distinct bar on the tail, note the very long bill of the bird on the left. I really need to visit more wetlands.

 

I think you have your ID on this one. Good job!

I suspect the other tracks are Racoon.

 

I agree. Especially with the tracks where you can see the animal stopped and looked around a bit. Defininatly racoon.

 

You might want to consider putting your birding observations onto ebird.org if your gonna be hitting this park alot.

[freeztar]

The first one looks like moose, but I know that can't be true...Bear is the only animal in that area capable of leaving a track so large, but it doesn't look like bear. So I will have to go with black-tailed deer (given the geography).

 

The second is coon I'm pretty sure...

[freeztar]

Another flower/plant to ID from Lechtenberg >>>

ps I will add the positions of the bird sightings to the map shortly. The Camas is everywhere you look in the fields West & North of the park.

 

 

Skunk Cabbage!

[Turtle]

As to the Greater Yellowlegs ID, here is a still shot that I think clinches it. Besides the distinct bar on the tail, note the very long bill of the bird on the left.

I think you have your ID on this one. Good job!

 

Good job yourself Cedars, and thanks! I was really befuddled by this one.

 

I suspect the other tracks are Racoon.

I agree. Especially with the tracks where you can see the animal stopped and looked around a bit. Defininatly racoon.

 

You might want to consider putting your birding observations onto ebird.org if your gonna be hitting this park alot.

 

Acknowledged Will check their page.

 

skunk cabbage

Aha! Thank you! My plant ID book is at its best only when you already know the plant.

The first one looks like moose, but I know that can't be true...Bear is the only animal in that area capable of leaving a track so large, but it doesn't look like bear. So I will have to go with black-tailed deer (given the geography).

 

 

I think I'll go with Elk on this one given the size and 'roundish' nature of the overall impression.

Animal Tracks - Elk

 

Plenty more to still come from the initial visit; thanks for the patience. Here's a couple more birds I photographed. :hihi:

 

[Turtle]

A young Big Leaf Maple - Acer macrophyllum (also called Oregon Maple) :) :)

 

[Cedars]

Here's a couple more birds I photographed

 

These two pics are much harder. I see you've called the first a california quail.

 

The second one has a few possiblities for sure.

 

I would suggest the Song Sparrow as a good starting point.

This page has several close species at the bottom to ponder.

 

Song Sparrow

This one isnt as detailed, but its good to have a second reference:

Song Sparrow

 

My first guess was fox sparrow, but the more I looked at it and pics, the more I lean towards the song sparrow above. The fox sparrow has noticable gray shades on it, where the Song sparrow doesnt. But the grays seem to vary by region according the the sibley guide to birds. MN birds have gray.... Not so sure about western birds.

 

All About Birds

 

Fox Sparrow