Umpqua Community College, OR–May 20, 2017. 1009-1225. Low 60s F. Initially cloud cover. Sunny at end. On the way up to the first set of cover boards I photographed a set of flowers and grasses. There were many Western Skinks under the cover sheets today. One new species was found for the cover board project, a juvenile Southern Alligator Lizard. Two Western Fence Lizards were found as well, but these were under pieces of wood that were on top of metal roofing pieces, not actually under the sheets. As is typical most (in this case all) herps were in the upper two grassy sites, with no herps detected in the lower wooded sets of cover boards.
I walked the river trail to bait the trail cams. Along the way I photographed a few flowers, some tracks in the sand (an unidentified mammal, mink, and raccoon), and some crayfish and mussel shells.
Back on campus a solidly rusty-colored “wooly bear” caterpillar was slowly dying on the concrete path. It looked like it had been stepped on or damaged by a bird.
More observations and photos for the day can be found here.
Bird lists:
Lee O. Hunt Arboretum
Kenneth Knechtel Park and river trail