Observation 3

Time: 5 pm
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
Temperature: 44 degrees


A new population of organisms are visiting my observation area today; a baby moose and a mother moose. They appear to be having a difficult time surviving. They are both very thin, they are also losing fur in patches, and it appears that they have some type of skin fungus. It also seems very likely that they have lice, and other parasites. They are so desperate for food that they were not even deterred by the barking dogs and cars of the neighborhood as they usually are. I predict that they will have a hard time surviving another winter as long and intense as this one, if they can even survive the summer.

The fox also made an appearance today. He was behaving strangely, one second he would hold stock still, and the next he would be running full speed across the common area field. At another point he also ran in a tight circle for about 3 minutes. I think it may have been the grasshoppers, and other grass bugs that occupy the field.

The fauna in this area is beginning to show signs of spring. The cattails have begun to sprout their white fuzzed tips that will soon turn brown. The population of willow trees by the pond is also starting to show green buds, that leaves will grow from. The grass is also growing taller and greener. All of these changes have created an increase in bird traffic for this area. Several magpies have a habitat in the willow trees, ducks have begun to nest in the island cattails, and a variety of songbird populations are in the area. I believe that as the weather continues to become warmer the biodiversity of the area will continue to increase.