My digital notebook of outdoor observations and adventures.
Time: 12:00 - 13:00
Location:
General: Greenway (river corridor)
Specific: Between Colorado Street Bridge and Apperson Street Bridge
Coordinates/Elevation:
Companions: None
Habitat: Riparian corridor with river, grassy banks, shrubs, and scattered hardwoods (incl. sycamore), winter–early spring vegetation
Current
Temp: ~55 °F (Much cooler than yesterday)
Sky: Overcast
Wind: (not noted)
Precipitation: None during walk
Recent
Last 24h: Rain overnight with thunder & lightning; ground soggy; river swollen
Last week / seasonal context: Forecast calls for on‑and‑off rain through the week; snowpack now completely gone; river level similar to yesterday with potential for flooding if rain persists
Purpose/Focus of outing: Midday walk from work; observing river conditions, wildlife, and seasonal transitions; casual birding.
Route/Area covered: Greenway entrance near Graham White → Colorado Street Bridge → across small feeder creek. → toward park bench near Apperson Street Bridge → back along same route
Notable phenology today:
- Early emergence of [[lesser celandine]] forming a green carpet after snow melt
- Increased songbird activity/calling
- Numerous [[sycamore]] seed pods on the ground (possibly storm-driven drop)
- [[Stoneflies]] active on bridge/railing
- First-time personal observation: squirrel entering its nest
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) - flying east along river center; perched at top of tallest sycamore on north side
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - multiple groups & individuals:
- 1 lone goose flying west and landing mid‑reach
- 4 grazing on south-side grass
- ~13 individuals crossing Greenway N→S (separate event)
- Later event: 4 swimming upriver together with a lagging loner; interactions suggestive of territorial or mating behavior (hypothesis)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) - male with green head among geese, tolerated by flock
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - multiple calls; varied song types noted; photo taken (add later)
Yellow‑rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) - ID by Merlin (heard; brief visual in riverside shrubs)
White‑crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - Merlin audio ID; no confirming visual
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) - bright red breast on display perched on wood post, calling
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - heard calling, Merlin bird ID confirmed
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) - lone bird on high telephone wire; silent
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) - foraging; later observed entering nest (rarely witnessed personally)
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) - small brownish‑gray rabbit with white tail, avoiding domestic dog
Stoneflies (Order Plecoptera) - multiple on wooden and aluminum railings; photos taken (add later)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) - dense groundcover in wooded patch; bright yellow blooms recalled from spring last year
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) - numerous seed balls on the ground today
Tracks - many domestic dog paw prints in soft mud; one possible deer print (uncertain)
Non-biological - river high (“fat”) with ~1 ft visibility in shallows, clearer than yesterday; banks muddy; noticeable earthy/decay odor today
Usual unhurried route along Greenway; frequent stops to listen/scan. Spoke briefly with two anglers; neither had caught anything; one casting in same pocket as Herb used yesterday. Used Merlin Bird ID to confirm several calls; took photos of a songbird and of stoneflies on railings. Used Seek app to identify unfamiliar plant “Lesser Celandine”
- Morphology/ID clues: classic blue/white pattern; strong flight; raspy calls (heard earlier in walk)
- Habitat micro-site: Tallest sycamore at north bank; topmost branch; apparently surveying area
- Notes: Observed flight path heading East along river center → perch
- Counts: Several distinct clusters/events (see list above); some likely repeats of individuals along route
- Notable Behavior: Group of four plus a lagging loner swimming hard upriver against current; assumed 1 male and 3 females based on size; loner also apparently male; later apparent confrontation between two presumed males; trio moved toward south bank and exited river. leaving 2 apparent males swimming ~20ft apart near north bank; possible territorial/mating context (speculative)
- Notes: Flock extremely tolerant of nearby male [[mallard]]; group of 4 geese surrounding lone mallard with no apparent conflict or territorialism.
- Vocals: Two very different song patterns noted today; reminder to work on improving call ID; Merlin assisted
- Photos/Sketch refs: ![ [ADD: 2026-02-18_song_sparrow.jpg] ]
- Confidence/Similar species considered: High.
- Habitat sighting: Shrubs/brush tight to river edge, group of 6-10.
- Notes: Quick movements; photo attempt unsuccessful.
- Confidence: Medium - Merlin audio ID + brief visual of yellow patches on chest.
- Notes: Merlin call ID without visual confirmation; treat as tentative
- Notes: Robin seen actively calling; Cardinal heard; lone pigeon perched quietly on wire above roadway
- Notes: Entered leafy nest head‑first; then turned and looked out; personal first to witness entry behavior
- Questions: Adhesion/structure of nest; occupancy (solo vs shared); wall thickness
- Notes: Small brownish‑gray rabbit; white tail evident; dog on roadway scented it and was eager to give chase
- Microhabitat/substrate: On wooden railing (yesterday’s spot) and aluminum railing at Colorado St. Bridge today
- Photos/Sketch refs: ![ [ADD: 2026-02-18_stoneflies_bridge.jpg] ]
- Notes: Lush green carpet across forest floor; first vigorous emergence since snow melt; bright yellow blooms expected later based on last spring
- Notes: Noticeably more on ground than prior days and many broken open unsure if seasonal timing or last night’s storm knocked them down
- Clarity: Somewhat opaque but clearer than prior days; ~1 ft visibility to bottom in shallows
- Odor: Distinct earthy/decay smell today - possible microbial activity uptick with warmer temps & rain
- Substrate: Edges soft/muddy; many domestic dog prints; one uncertain deer track. Noted a muddy area recently exposed by receding water levels, with no apparent disturbance; will check this location again to see if new tracks appear.
Birds noticeably more vocal today with overcast but mild temps; geese showing possible territorial/mating interactions.
Early green-up in shaded woods driven by lesser celandine; snowpack fully melted.
Sycamore seed dispersal notable today-potential storm effect.
River remains high with limited drainage since yesterday; forecasted continuing rain could push levels to flooding and may inundate sections of the Greenway if trend persists.
Embed photos (songbird; stoneflies at wooden & aluminum railings; lesser celandine)
Cross-check Merlin audio IDs (song sparrow variants; yellow-rumped warbler; white‑crowned sparrow)
Add yesterday’s groundhog (north side of river) to 2026‑02‑17 entry
Record coordinates/elevation for Colorado St. Bridge spot next visit
Keep tabs on river level vs. forecast; note any Greenway flooding
Look into duck/goose tolerance of each other
Look into purpose/ structure of Sycamore seed balls
Check clear muddy area in coming days for appearance of more animal prints
Work on improving bird call identification