Arnold Arboretum Nature Walk (EcoEvo and more...)

I set out on a small hike to Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University on September 30th, 2020. The weather was clear and in the 68 - 72F, and it had just rained before I departed for the Arboretum. With the hope of discovering some fungi, I wandered around the place for quite a while. To my surprise, I did not manage to find an abundance of fungi other than in the form of Lichens, which I believe is a symbiotic partnership between a fungus and an alga, with the fungus giving it most of the characteristics.
It was actually somewhat tricky looking for different wild organisms, and I believe it is due to the nature of Arnold Arboretum ultimately being some kind of a collective botanical garden with many of the major exhibitions and their immediate surrounding landscape regularly curated and up-kept. As a result, the wild organisms allowed to grow there might also be under some level of control.
Completing tasks aside, I brought my own DSLR and did a little bit of bird and wildlife photography. If there is one thing I learned today, it's that Blue Jays have a screeching loud song and they really despise staying still and getting their pictures taken. Sheesh!

Posted on October 1, 2020 12:43 AM by jerrythemaus jerrythemaus

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 01:55 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Dust Lichens (Genus Lepraria)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 02:04 PM EDT

Description

As seen grown on the bark of a Burr Oak

Photos / Sounds

What

Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 02:19 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 02:42 PM EDT
Fungi

Photos / Sounds

What

Fungi Including Lichens (Kingdom Fungi)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 04:02 PM EDT

Description

I can’t quite identify but it is definitely a fungus. It was sitting at the root of what I believe to be an oak tree. For reference, the diameter of this was about 8-12cm or 3.15 - 4.72 inches.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 08:20 PM EDT

Description

Wild chipmunk.

Photos / Sounds

What

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 08:20 PM EDT

Description

I believe this is a typical American Robin.

Photos / Sounds

What

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Observer

jerrythemaus

Date

September 30, 2020 08:20 PM EDT

Description

Wild Blue Jay.

Comments

Beautiful photographs... great bird observations!

Posted by heatherolins over 3 years ago

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