Science Plot Study 2005

This a page full of information and pictures of my plot for science class

The plot is in one of our back fields, down a lane with lots of blackberries.

photos taken October 22 after the field was mulched/brush-hogged

pictures taken on October 9

pictures above taken on October 9

taken on September 25

taken on September 12

pictures taken on September 12

pictures taken on September 12

pictures taken on September 12

          My plot journals (what I write when I go there):

Date: September 12

Time: 6:35 PM

Current weather: sunny

Seasonal changes observed: N/A

Consumers seen: horses

Special observation: airplane going over me

Touches, smells, and sounds: wet smell, some birds chirping, almost everything feels dead/dry

Work on plot: recorded and took pictures

Reflections: N/A

Date: September 24

Time: 8:05 PM

Current weather: clear and dark

Seasonal changes: changing leaves, the trees are becoming more bare.

Consumers: 2 cats

Special observations: almost everything is quiet, I can hear the cars on Central Road. 

Touches, smells, and sounds: everything is a little moist, wet smell, cars on the road, cats moving around.

Work on plot: recorded in journal 

Reflections: It's amazing how quiet it is. It's truly fall, the bugs aren't chirping anymore. It's super cold, my fingers are numb. There are leaves everywhere. It's so clear I can all the stars. There is some kind of animal making noise; I think it's a tree frog. The cats are acting weird, I think they like my flashlight. It's just so amazing how God made the night; tonight, everything is still, but other nights it's crazy!

Date September 25

Time: 5:06 PM

Weather: clear and sunny

Seasonal changes: same as last

Consumers: 2 cats, some bugs, and a lot of birds

Special observation: a car horn went off and found 3 bird feathers in the middle of the field. 

Touches, smells, and sounds: everything feels dry and some things feel dead, wet smell, tree frog croaking, birds singing, something moving around in the woods.

Work: recorded in journal

Reflections: the birds are chirping so much that it sounds like a choir. It's so much noisier than last night, it was peaceful, now the birds are singing and the planes are passing by. Today the cats went to explore and hunt, last night they stayed pretty close to me. It's cool how they know when to hunt and when not to. It's awesome how each kind of bird sounds different. There must be at least five different kinds of birds in the trees, and I can tell just by listening. 

Date: October 3

Time: 7:04 AM

Weather: cold and foggy 

Seasonal changes: it's getting colder; more leaves on the ground, and the trees are getting even more bare.

Consumers: 1 very annoying cat and a few birds

Special observations: there are only a few birds awake, guess those birds are getting the worm! :) 

Touches, smells, and sounds: everything is wet with rain and dew, very moist smell, birds chirping, raindrops on leaves falling onto something else. 

Work: recorded in journal

Reflections: The fog is slowly moving away. It sounds like it's raining only in the woods. The cat has been sitting still for about 5 minutes; he's looking for some breakfast. Just beyond the trees, I can see the sunrise, it's so beautiful!!

Date: October 16

Time: 11:50 AM

Weather: rainy

Seasonal changes: the middle tree has leaves only at the top

Consumers: some birds

Special observation: creek is starting to fill 

Touches, smells, and sounds: everything is soaked, no real smell, rain, a few birds

Work: recorded

Reflections: everything is hiding and trying to stay dry. It raining so hard that my notes are starting to erase. It doesn't feel like it's raining hard, but it looks and sounds like it. It's so quiet, almost like when I came at night, except I can't even hear cars! The pitter patters are almost like a song.

Date: October 22

Time 11:05 AM

Weather: warm and sunny, a few clouds

Seasonal changes: lots of leaves falling and lots on the ground. 

Consumers: a cat, a few insects, and tons of spiders

Special observations: a hawk calling, grass was mowed so that it decomposes more easily and so the ground gets more nutrients, and the creek is empty again . 

Touches, smells, and sounds: almost everything is wet, wet smell, birds cawing and tweeting, a woodpecker, leaves falling, cars, tree frog, lawn mower, some insects buzzing. 

 Work: took pictures, website, recorded

Reflections: it feels so good to have the sun on my back. Hearing the woodpecker makes me wonder if they  ever get a headache. Even the cat is listening to all the birds, maybe he's find lunch. Even though I hear all these animals, I can't see them, that's just weird. I'm glad I'm not deaf, or else I wouldn't be able to hear all these wonderful things. I'm also glad I'm not blind or else I wouldn't be able to see God's creation. I can't imagine life without seeing or hearing things! 

Date: October 29

Time: 5:54

Weather: cloudy

Seasonal changes: more bare trees, more leaves on ground, colder, fewer birds around

Consumers: a few birds, 2 cats, and geese flying above

Special observation: at first one cat stayed by me, and the other went and did his own thing, but once the birds started chirping the one next to me left and he is now looking carefully around for dinner. 

Touches, smells, and sounds: pretty much everything is wet, semi-moist smell, birds chirping, some bird I haven't heard before, cars, a gun shot (it's hunting season) the wind

Work: recorded, worked on projects

Reflections: Well, the end is coming near! It's interesting how many things changed and stayed the same. The creek hasn't filled up all the way yet, but there are more leaves in the creek bed than before. There are less birds, and I definitely didn't see geese flying away a month ago. Winter is approaching, it's getting colder, and my fingers are num. Stormy (one of the cats) is staring up at the tree in the middle, he's trying to climb it. He made to the first branch! He looks silhouetted against the sunset. It's really pretty. Stormy keeps on climbing, he's not going to give up until he reaches as high as he wants. In a way, I think I should be more like Stormy. I shouldn't give up until I reach what I'm reaching for. 

Date: October 30

Time: 3:15 PM

Weather: light rain

Seasonal changes: lots of leaves falling

Consumers: a few small insects and one impatient cat

Special observations: creek is filling up (again) and cat is 'reacting' to the weather.  Last night when the birds were out he was away from me, but now it's quiet and he is next to me because it's rainy.

Touches, sounds, and smells:  wet feel, ground is muddy and mushy, cars, rain, Pouncer (the cat) purring an meowing, wet smell

Work: recorded, took pictures, and worked on projects

Reflections: This is the last journal! If I could've chosen the weather I would've wanted it to be warmer and sunny, not rainy.  Oh well, the plot still looks beautiful.  Pouncer is very alert and interest in everything, even a raindrop.  He's really impatient today; he wants to walk on my notebook.  Sometimes he acts like royalty, always wanting things his way.  I'm going to miss coming here, I think I might keep on coming to take pictures and put them on my website.  This experience has taught me a few things like you have to be patient (for the creek to come in this case, it's usually here by now), not to put things off (that would be a disaster! I usually do procrastinate), and to be observant and notice every detail (my journals wouldn't be nearly as exciting without detail!) I hope that my plot will stay the way it is as long as possible.