Diario de velizo

Location: I observed these plants from 3:19-3:20 pm on my observations. They came from a specific location on the University of Washington campus in Seattle. It was in a copse of Cedar, Fir, and Maple trees, home to a Great Blue Heron rookery. The copse of trees was behind the Fountain next to Bagley Hall.

Route: From Mary Gates Hall, I walked towards the Fountain facing Mt. Rainier. Then, I walked to the right around the Fountain with Bagley Hall on my right. Behind the Fountain was the copse of trees and a trail leading through it.

Weather: It was extremely rainy that day. The sky was dark and gray and it was slightly chilly. It seemed to be somewhere in the mid 40's.

Habitat: The copse of trees was lined with a cement pathway surrounded by bark chips. To the left of the entrance was a large bush with red flowers. To the right of the entrance was an even bigger bush with light pink flowers. Once entering the trail, to the left were some Douglass Fir trees. To the right were some Red Cedar trees. Farther down the path were some huge Maple trees. These were the home to a flock of nesting Great Blue Herons. Even further down the path, to the left was a large bush of Mahonis aquafolium.

General Comments: The path seemed well-traveled by UW byciclists and was very beautiful. Though on campus, it had the feel of being outdoors surrounded by natural wildlife. The herons were also an exceptional sight. The way they communicated with each other and interacted was especially fascinating.

Species List: Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica)
Camellia (red flower)

Location: The plants I saw were from 3:21-5:59 pm on Thursday in my observations. I saw them all around the UW campus, from Hansee Hall to the area by the IMA.

Route: From Hansee, I walked on a path going towards the other northeastern residence halls. From this area, I walked on a less traveled path filled with parking lots behind buildings. From there, I headed towards the IMA.

Weather: The sky was cloudy and gray. It was raining on and off. It was slightly breezy and sometimes windy.

Habitat: On the route by Hansee, there was a theater building by Denney field where there were many tiny bushes filled with tiny birds. There were also a few tall fir trees where squirrels like to hide. Just today I saw a squirrel trying to open a nut such as an acorn. He seemed comfortable around me, which is logical seeing as he lives around campus surrounded by lots of people. This path lead to a trail where the other northeastern residence halls are. The trail was well-traveled by students living in the residence halls. This trail was thick with many bushes, shrubs, and tall trees. I also discovered bushes with little red, white, and black berries. I also saw many ferns and ivies along the ground. Over by the IMA, I saw tons of daffodils and flowering trees. This area was surrounded by many classroom buildings, and there were many parking lots and cars. I also saw a lot of people walking around here.

Vegetation: The vegetation seemed to be planted by people around Hansee, as many were floral and well-trimmed. However, along the path by the other residence halls, the vegetation seemed more natural and woods-y. The trees were bigger and the plants were more wild and overgrown. In the other area, by the parking lots and buildings towards the IMA, the trees were smaller, by the edge of the road. There were more little plants and shrubs. It was a lot less dense than by the residence halls.

General Comments: I really liked the area behind Hansee for bird watching. It was quiet and few people were around there. It also seemed like a good place to look for squirrels and raccoon. I also liked the thick and dense trail where there was a lot of vegetation as a place to identify plant species.

Species List: Genus Prunus
Vine hill manzanita (archtostaphylus densifora)
Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)
Ligustrum vulgare
Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
An unidentified shrub with holly-like leaves and tiny buds
Western swordfern (Polystichum munitum)
An unidentified plant with large, dark green leaves, and white blossoms
Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)
An unidentified conical plant with long, slender leaves
Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
An unidentified plant with red holly-like leaves
Daffodil (Narcissus)
An unidentified daffodil-like flower
Genus nandina
Wood sorrel (Genus Oxalis)
Genus Ribes
Genus forsythia
An unidentified tree
An unidentified flowering tree with yellow 5-petaled blossoms