August 15, 2010

A couple humming birds were collecting honey from the Firebush.  They were flying back to the tree beside the small hexagonal structure in front of the Swiss Sky Ride. I assumed that their nest was somewhere in that tree, but I could not locate it.

Leaves of young Sago Palms are growing taller.  As the young leaves grow, the color of some older leaves started to brown.  The third seed peeked from the feather-like flower of the Sago Palm.

Many Bumble bees, which have brown bands on the abdomen and thorax areas were busily collecting honey from the Esperanza.  A couple Bumble bees had yellow pollen balls on their legs.  One of them tried to take off that pollen ball from its leg before it got into the flower of the Esperanza.  It looked like the pollen stuck on its leg.  The bee gave up, and got into the flower to collect more honey.  I had not seen that many Bumble bees at once, so this morning was like a special Bumble bee day.  The Sotol, which grew next to the Esperanza under the Century Plant, started developing brown leaves. 

A big, pale, lime colored Turks Cap that I saw yesterday morning turned to a rosey orange color in one day.  The petals were still closed, but it was ready to bloom at any time.   

August 14, 2010

At the feeding place this morning, a Black-Bellied-whistling duck, three American Coots, several Green Herons, and a Gadwall were present.  After the Black-Bellied-whistling duck finished its breakfast, the bird waded into a deeper area.  The bird started scooping up and splashing the water as if taking a bath, grooming itself carefully, and then flew away toward the river.    

Seven divers drove into Spring Lake with air tanks.  I saw twice as many air tanks lined up in the diver preparation area next to the Landing, and I thought that they were aiming to dive deep this morning.

On the lawn in front of the diving facility, I saw the young Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron facing two juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Herons.  I thought that one of juveniles was the offspring of the young Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron.  They stood still for a while.  Then, the young Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron turned around and walked to the barrier to hunt.  I thought that she was hungry.  The other two juvenile herons were hungry, too.  One of the young herons hurried to the barrier to start hunting, and the other followed.  Immediately, the young Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron spread her wings and shooed both juvenile herons away.  After repeatedly refusing to hunt crayfish together on the barrier, the two young, juvenile herons flew away together toward the river. 

The excavation site beside the Aquarena Center Office was enclosed by mesh wire fence, but the excavation members were not present this morning.  The digging site was covered by a tarp, and a large wooden plate was on top of it.

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the Aquarena Center for a short time to see the progress of the excavation by the members of the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University.  At that time, a staff member who was working in the four-foot wide square site had found a tiny black object in the soil that he had just dug up, and picked it up with the tip of an archaeology trowel.  He said that it was charcoal.  The measurement of its depth was nearly 60 centimeters.  During another dig, he had come across a piece of chert.  Other staff members who were shifting the soil with large shifters found small, round snails.  The number of snails found today was more than yesterday, and that’s a indicator of the weather patterns during that time period. 

Beyond 60 centimeters depth, the some soil appeared to be a lighter color than some rocks found from the upper soil.  I thought that the lighter color material was clay.  He corrected me; it was clay loam, and indicates that there was a flood during that period that brought in some materials from other areas.  From studying artifacts and soil conditions, members of the Center for Archaeological Studies are exploring Spring Lake’s past by using their knowledge, experiences, imaginations, and passion.   This excavation is an incredibly exciting project!

August 13, 2010

Near the right side of the boardwalk entrance, Mr. Wallendorf and Mr. Heard were busy repairing the Aqua Harvester.  Bringing heavy tools on board was not easy, as the Aqua Harvester is quite narrow.  They were fixing the loosened conveyer belt.   I saw the cleaning kit on board.  Mr. Wallendorf said that they would clean that big machine after they finish repairing it.    

Two students and Mrs. Leezer were continuing the excavation beside the Aquarena Center Office, near the Aquarium.  I saw several rows of rocks on the soil and a student digging with his archaeology trowel.  I thought that they were fossils of animals, but the student told me that they were just pieces of limestone.  He was measuring as he dug.  It was 50 centimeters deep.  The color of the soil seemed almost the same, but the student showed me a piece of clay and said that it showed that the area was once flooded.  It was interesting to know that the soil can be used to record natural events. 

Today is graduation day.  Aquarena Springs Drive was busy from the commencement at Strahan Coliseum.  I saw Dr. Thomas Clark carrying his gown in his arm as he walked toward the Coliseum.  At the stop sign that divides CM Allen Parkway and Sessoms, several students were wearing gowns and waiting to cross the street.  Their faces were brightened with excitement and happiness!  It was a wonderful scene.  Congratulations to all of the graduates! 

August 12, 2010

When I got to Aquarena Center, the wetlands and the Spring Lake were covered by mist.  It was a mystical sight.  From the mist, I heard rhythmical motor sounds.  I saw the Aqua Harvester working on the lake, and in the background of the Aqua Harvester, the hill was blackish or smeared by the mist.  It was a three dimensional moment.

Mr. Heard and another diver were about to dive at the kayak dock.  They were heading to clear the Algae, which grows on the bottom of the lake with a red and white blade-like tool which is called a “machete.”  After the Algae was cut loose from the lake bottom and floated up to the surface, Mr. Wallendorf scooped up the Algae with the Aqua Harvester. The Aqua Harvester even went the mouth of the river to pick up the floating Algae.      

After Mr. Wallendorf scooped up Algae from the lake, he docked the Aqua Harvester at the Aqua Harvester dock, which is located on the right side of the boardwalk entrance.  I was curious how he unloads all the collected Algae from the Aqua Harvester, so I stood beside the dock to watch.  The Aqua Harvester dock is very narrow, but he skillfully docked that huge machine easily.  He pointed to the bank beside the machine and said that there was a snake called the Water Moccasin; he added that it was not the poisonous type.  His sharp eyes did not miss anything on his way.

Mr. Wallendorf parked the Aqua Harvester in the head-in position, and attached the conveyer belt of the Aqua Harvester with the long conveyer belt which stayed at the dock permanently.  Then, he drove the truck under the land conveyer belt to catch the unloading Algae.

He shifted and reversing the movement of the Aqua Harvester conveyer belt toward the land conveyer belt.  It was fun to watch piling of Algae traveling the both conveyer belts, and at the end of the land conveyer, Algae dropping onto the waiting truck.  Mr. Wallendorf said that Rick, the landscaper, would add these collected Algae to the compost for nourishing the trees, flowers, and grasses on the university grounds, and he drove away the truck to the processing facility.  Estimated annual Algae that collected by the Aqua Harvester were about 400 tons.  It is wonderful to see that everything is recycled.

A juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron was on the concrete path and following a squirrel toward a small hexagonal structure in front of the Swiss Sky Ride.  The squirrel was acting up, and climbing trees and running around busily.  It was cute to watch that the squirrel and the young bird staying nearby each other beside the small hexagonal structure for a while.

Three students from the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University, led by Mrs. Leezer, were resuming the excavation beside of the Aquarena Center Office near the Aquarium.  There was thunder storm in the early evening yesterday.  The air was a little cooler, and the soil had been softened by the rain this morning.

August 11, 2010

Mr. Wallendorf was operating the Aqua Harvester for clearing the Algae from the lake in the early morning.  When I got to Aquarena, he had already cleared the back of the Landing and driving the Aqua Harvester toward the Glass Bottom Boat dock.  The Aqua Harvester shoveled up the floating Algae, dumping collected Algae on the conveyer belt, and the conveyer belt moved smoothly upward to transport chunks of Algae to the container which was located in the main body of the Aqua Harvester, under the driver seat.  Mr. Wallendorf was watching carefully around the location of the Algae, and he cleared plenty of fast growing Algae around the lake.

The team of the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University, led by Mrs. Carole Leezer were excavating beside Aquarena Center Office near the Aquarium.  About four square feet was marked with an orange tape and the working area was enclosed with a meshed wire.  Mrs. Carole Leezer said that it would be the tool-making site.

First, two students removed grasses which covered the surface of that area with shovels, and they shifted with the big and examined every thing left in the shifter carefully.  Even the roots of grasses were cleared before discarding the grasses from the shifter.  Then, using the archaeology trowels, the scraped a layer of the soil carefully, collecting that scraped soil with the dust pan, and brought to the shifter for careful examination.

They collected some artifacts including a couple tiny, round snails, small flints, and a coin during the excavation of the first level, 1-10 centimeters, the Unit I, Level I, 1-10 CMBS.  Interestingly, one student told me that the archaeology uses the metric system of centimeter instead of the inch.  Mrs. Leezer said that they will dig deep at this excavation site.  Exciting!

It is hard work, but the corner of Aquarena was filled with the excitement for searching and acquiring the evidence of the past history of the Spring Lake this morning.

August 10, 2010

On the way to the Aquarena Center this morning, I saw a familiar bird on the right side of CM Allen Parkway just before the stop sign that divides Aquarena Springs Drive and Sessom.  The right side of that road is the park along the San Marcos River, Sewell Park.  A juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron was standing on the lawn near the side of the road.  I used to see the young heron around the tranquil atmosphere at the wetlands or Spring Lake, but not next to heavy traffic.  I thought that it was strange to see it there.  There were no cars behind me, so I drove very slow to check out the bird.  It was the juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron, and it had stretched its neck out fully and was standing there as if observing the cars that were passing by.          

At Aquarena Center, the young leaves of the Sago Palm were shooting up and seemed very tall.  Though the edge is still curled a little, each section of the leaf unfolded quite nicely.  I saw three bright green lizards (green Anoles) on the leaves under the morning sun.  Maybe that was the reason why the Red-Shouldered Hawk is sometimes perched on the electric lines over the Sago Palms.

I heard crunching sounds while I was walking toward the Glass Bottom Boat dock.  Amongst the chirping of birds, I could hear dry, monotone, and partly rhythmical sounds.  I took several steps back to see where that sounds came from.  A squirrel was sitting on the branch of the Bald Cypress tree, holding brown, small round nuts, and cracking the shell.  uldered Hawk perched on the electric lines over the Sago Palms sometimes.  

I heard crunchy sounds when walking toward the Glass Bottom Boat dock.  Among the chirping voices of birds, those dry, monotone, and partly rhythmical sounds were attracting.  I took several steps back to see where that sounds came from.  A squirrel was sitting on the branch of the Bald Cypress tree, holding brown, small, round nuts, and cracking the shell. 

August 9, 2010

Even though I knew that the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron had abandoned the hunting place at the boardwalk entrance, I have a habit of looking for her first thing in the morning at Aquarena.  I stood on the boardwalk and looked at the Algae.  A Nutria was grooming itself on the floating dead tree trunk. 

The morning procession of three American Coots was on the way.  Three black birds with white beaks in the golden wheat Algae-covered wetlands was a picturesque sight.  One of them could not wait to reach the feeding place.  The bird spread its wings and beat the water.  Then, it flew up slightly with its feet still half-submerged under the water, and beat the water with its wings, making white splash marks and lots of noise.  They were cool sounds that traveled all the way to the feeding place.  The bird started hunting before two other birds reached that area.

Walking toward the boardwalk exit, I was glad to see the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron in the shallow water under the Cottonwood tree, near the Cattail bush.  She was picking the fish.  It was the first time to see the mother bird doing so.  I thought that she had no luck in catching the crayfish in this morning, and she was hungry. 

Along the lake, from the Landing to the headwaters, in front of the Texas Rivers Center, there were plenty of cones and nuts.  The Bald Cypress trees are loaded with small round cones, which have kept their green color for the past few months, but some of them started changing to brown.  The Mexican Plum tree, which grew in front of the Landing, produced many pale green fruits.  The size of the fruit is almost the same as the cones of the Bald Cypress.  The Mexican Plum tree is growing between the two Bald Cypress trees, but its fruits were not very noticeable since they have the same size and color as the Bald Cypress cones.  However, some of them started to develop a pale, rosy color.  The Pecan nuts at Pecan Grove in front of the headwaters are started to change color, too.  The trees at Aquarena Center are displaying the approaching new season, even though the summer temperature is staying the same (hot!)     

August 8, 2010

I was glad to see the morning procession of three American Coots, as usual.  There were some movements by these American Coots, several Green Herons and Nutrias in the wetlands.  When I was watching their procession from the boardwalk, a small patch of golden brown Algae started moving slowly along the boardwalk.  It was cute to see that a head of the turtle came up from the edge of the Algae, and the turtle submerged to deeper water leaving the patch of Algae behind. 

Two Hummingbirds and a bee were busy collecting the honey from the Firebush.  It seemed that the Hummingbirds prefer the honey of the Firebush.  Maybe its honey is sweeter than other flowers. 

With surprising speed, the young Sago Palm leaves were growing.  They looked like lumps yesterday morning, but this morning, each lump became about two dozen young leaves, and each of them was spreading out its neatly folded tiny leaf.  A small, bright green lizard was resting nearby the young leaves under the morning sun.  It was a beautiful scene.    

A bagworm was struggling to hide under the leaves on the middle of the concrete path not far from the Sago Palm.  I thought that the bird knocked down the worm and some leaves on the path.  It was about 1 ½ inches long, a pale brownish/greenish color, with long hairs.  It’s sad to see that most of the tree leaves covered by the webs have turned brown and dried. 

August 7, 2010

I was happy to see the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron standing on the floating dead tree this morning.  But, she flew to the edge of the Aqua Harvester to look around for a short time and flew away toward the river. 

I was puzzled by her behavior, and I looked at the floating dead tree trunk which the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron just left.  I realized that the Algae already covered around her favorite hunting spot, the floating dead tree trunk, though another floating dead tree trunk nearby was still showing some water surface around it.  I thought that the situation of growing Algae was disturbing the hunting, and she had to abandon her territory.

The hunting territory of the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron is under the trees, and the area is shady all the time.  And, the color of Algae in that area is still greenish/light brownish compared to the golden wheat color of the Algae, which stays under the sun. 

It was interesting to see that the Sago Palms show exciting changes.  Two round seeds started peeking from the side of feather-like, hemisphere shaped Sago flower.  Also, I was surprised to see that lump of pale green leaves shooting up from the base of the cones, and these strong young leaves pushed aside the blackened cones.  That strength of young power reminded me of the bamboo shoots.  Several bright green lizards were enjoying the morning sun on the dark green Sago leaves and that lighter green was enhancing the Sago Palms.     

Canna Lilies along the railing in front of the submarine produced several more scarlet, velvet like buds, but most of flowers turned to dark brown and dried.  It has been flowering and beautifying the area all summer.  

August 6, 2010

I was anxious to see the birds, and passed the covered boardwalk entrance quickly this morning.  The territory of the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron at the boardwalk entrance was vacant this morning, again.  I wondered where she went.

A Black-Bellied-Whistling Duck was hunting at the feeding place.  The wings of the Black-Bellied-Whistling Duck have long white lines, and white feathers are visible from its characteristic trembling motion of its wings during standing, one of the outstanding features to identify this bird.  The flock of the Black-Bellied-Whistling Duck preferred to feed themselves somewhere else this summer, but I am glad to see that one of them still stops by here time to time for hunting.

When I walked to the middle of the boardwalk, I saw a black and white spotted spider make a web from the left to right side of the railings, and the spider was comfortably settled in the middle of its big web.  I did not want to disturb her, so I turned back and walked toward the boardwalk exit to get on the boardwalk. I saw one tree at the other side of the wetlands affected by bagworms.

While walking on the path along the Pecan Grove, I saw a greenish Pecan on the concrete path.  The oblong husk had four sections, and each section was divided by a tucked-up edge that goes to both pointed ends.  I put it in my palm.  I could feel the weight of Pecan.  I looked up at the trees.  I saw some Pecan nuts had turned to greenish/light brown.  Time flies too quickly; another Pecan season would be not far away.   I was sad to see that a couple Pecan trees were also affected by the bagworms.

August 1

I was glad to see the Great Egret in the Wetlands. I had not seen her for a while. She was hunting with a Snowy Egret for a while, but two of them disappeared toward the river.

When I was walking toward the boardwalk exit, I saw a couple leaves from a Cattail swaying violently at the edge of right side of the boardwalk. I stopped. I heard crunching sounds indicating an animal was eating the Cattail. I peeked under the boardwalk and saw the nose of Nutria busy with its breakfast, but rest of its body was hidden under the bridge.

I was glad to see the Chinese Domestic Geese family on the lawn near the biological research site. The mother goose was sleeping, but two other geese were busy picking the grasses.

A small, light brown lizard was on the outdoor post lights behind the female Sago Palm. It was so cute on the old fashioned post light. The post lights show chipped paint from old age, and five round, white frosted glass shades. Four white frosted glass shades surround the top shade like branches. The design shows the elegance of the 1900’s. These post lights are along the concrete path from the headwaters to the Landing.

The light posts with the lizard are sandwiched by a thick Firebush. I tried to take a photo of the lizard and the post lights. When I was ready for the shutter, the lizard moved to the other side of the post. I walked around the Sago Palm and the Firebush ready for the shutter, and the lizard quickly moved to the other side. It was like playing a peek-a-pooh. The playful lizard made me walk around the two plants for a couple times, but I found that there were three different colored lizards on the Sago Palm: bright green, faded green, and Anoles with light brown. I thought that the Sago Palm and Firebush are safe living places for the lizards.

July 30th

I was anxious to see the Chinese Domestic Geese family and went straight toward the Landing. I was so relieved to see the mother goose sitting under the Bald Cypress tree while her young and the father goose were picking the grasses near her. When I approached her, the young goose and father came beside her as if they were protecting her, stretched their necks toward her and softly quacked. The mother goose also stretched her neck toward them. I was glad that she was all right and that she could swim here with her family this morning.

I saw two Yellow-Crowned-Night Herons fly over the lawn in front of the diving facility. I thought that they were the juvenile herons. As soon as the young Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron that was hunting in the middle of the barrier, saw the two, she flew up and followed them toward the river.

A Blue-Throated Hummingbird and a butterfly with black wings and white dots along the sides were busy collecting honey from the Firebush. The hummingbird was zooming from flower to flower, but the butterfly perched on each tubular flower, thoroughly collecting the honey. The contrast of its black wings with white dots with the red/orange flowers was attractive.

I saw footprints coming out from under the bridge at the boardwalk exit. From the shape of the footprints, I knew they were from Nutria. The footprints were molded with mud indicating that the animal was doing something in the mud last night.

At the diving preparation site besides the Landing, the divers started setting up a tent, and bringing their diving gear around the green picnic tables. The parents of a diver were strolling around the lake waiting to see their son dive during his lesson.

A lady instructor started her diving lesson on the lawn in front of the diving facility. Five teenage divers-to-be were lining up excitedly with their equipment and following the instructor on how to use the equipments.

At the outdoor wooden corridor at the Landing, a pair of certified divers was examining their oxygen tanks. They were aiming to dive at the deepest site in the lake.