The Backyard Science group regularly publishes The Daily Bucket, which features observations of the world around us. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds, flowers and anything natural or unusual are worthy additions to the Bucket and its comments. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note you write helps us understand the patterns that are unwinding around us.
Many people rightly disparage golf courses. Some Private golf clubs protect racist, sexist and ruling class attitudes and practices. Or you could look at some of the best managed public courses and see massive losses of acreages that could have provided crops and/or critter habitat instead of encouraging a stupid game.
My name is Redwood Man. I am a golf addict. Yet when I tread a golf course, I see much more than herbicide-drenched, close-mowed fields. I see the unkempt places where critters can thrive or at least survive. Below the orange Scylla, come see where I roll.
In about 1998 I began working part time at Quail Valley, a public golf course 20 miles west of Portland Oregon. I earn minimum wage and get free golf. The course opened in 1994, carved from farmer's fields. Here is an aerial photo of the course which is just east of the city of Banks.
https://www.google.com/...
Hopefully you can see in the aerial that the course features 4 multi-acre lakes. Golfers see those lakes as a !#$#!$ obstacle that consumes their $4 balls. Instead, I see the coveys of ducks that thrive there. Here is another look at the largest pond. All photos are Lightbox, and you'll need it for a few of these, especially for the last picture.
Shoulder-height cattail plants clog the banks of the ponds, providing shelter for the waterfowl, who often nest there.
Treed bogs with yellow flag irises have taken over several low spots, creating dense thickets where young ducks can mature.
In late fall, elaborately colored Bufflehead ducks come to the larger lakes.This year, more Buffies came than last year, and occupied all 4 lakes instead of the single lake they utilized last year.
I'd always wondered why the only lake with fish in it, rarely had many ducks. Looking at the aerial, (its on the upper right) I noticed it is the smallest pond. It doesn't look small when you are next to it.
A few buffies swam around there, but haven't stayed. Please note the oak grove in the upper left hand corner of the photo. A walnut grove is across the road to the right.
The unmowed areas also harbor wildlife; voles. These are field mice that live in the long grass, upon which the hawks and herons prey when pickings get slim.
In the predawn, the coyotes cavort before the golfers arrive. You can see a black speck
in the upper middle of the following picture. It's one of two coyotes goofing around out there last weekend. We see their pawprints in the sand bunkers. They cross the course diagonally, from SE to NW.
"Spotlight on Green News & Views" will be posted every Saturday at 1pm and Wednesday at 3:30 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
Now It's Your Turn What's interesting to you? Please post your own observations and your general location in the comments.
Thank you for reading. I'll work this morning so I'll respond to comments before lunchtime, PDT.