I went for a walk this evening around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. It was 61 degrees Fahrenheit and partly cloudy, although it became more cloudy as the sun was setting. There was no wind present, so the water was calm. I observed many organisms while on my nature walk, most of which I was not able to photograph. However, I want to focus on six organisms I was able to photograph.
- Mother duck with baby duck swimming along bank. The baby duck trailed behind the mother duck and stayed close behind her. I was surprised to see that there was only one baby duck; perhaps the other babies did not survive?
- White swan dipping head under water scavenging for food. This majestic creature was very close to the edge and dipped its head under the water's surface to look for dinner. I was able to get a picture of the bird with its head out of the water and with its head under the water.
- Frizzy purple flower at upper level walking area. I didn't see many of these purple-flowered plants and was particularly drawn to its frizzy structure. I would be interested to know what type of species this plant is!
- Fern-like plant. I noticed more of these fern-like plants as I approached the South side of the reservoir and was interested by their leaf structure. Again, I do not know what this species exactly is.
- Ivy. I'm unsure whether this ivy was cultivated or not, but I saw it creeping up the side of the Waterworks Building and thought I'd photograph anyways.
- Lichen patch on large rock. This lichen growth was wide and faced the West side (I've heard that lichen only grow toward the West ... is this correct?) It also implies that air pollution isn't as prevalent because these lichen are able to grow.