09-05-16 Field Note

09-05-16 Field Note

September 5, 2016

Jeff Clarke describes the field crew's encounters with California Quail, an elk carcass, and bulrush.

Buck and rail fences, bulrush transplant, wild rice, willow progress

he algae started to grow at the bottom of the pond this spring, and as the single cells reproduced they formed long hair-like colonies.

The field crew dug up more native bulrush on the north end of the Clubhouse Pond and planted them along the west side of the new pond.

We plan to ring the entire pond with bulrush.

This area has been trammeled by elk and cattle for years. With the protection of the buck and rail, plant cover should thicken and reduce erosion.

We added another buck and rail around the small draw above the Clubhouse.

The willow stems we planted this spring grew to six or seven feet!

Next year we will plant more willows around the new cottonwood suckers.

As I stopped to watch, I started to see little California quail darting through the dense gaps of vegetation. I’ll bet there was at least 30 birds in that covey. The thought of these quail in our new willow grove made me smile.

Snowberries will help the quail survive this winter

The field crew visited MPGN to survey Cooney Creek’s structure and water features.

Houndstongue removal continues.

When any part of the center pivot irrigation line blows, thousands of gallons of water explode from the earth.

It's grasshopper season. This leafless chokecherry illustrates their impact.

larvae devour the remains of an elk carcass.

squall

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