Grass growing in Mouse House

Observation 5

Mouse House

Date: June 8th

Time of Day: 4:49 p.m.

Temperature: 48F

Weather Conditions: cloudy

Wind Conditions: slight to no breeze

Soil Conditions: moist

Hypothesis: site has changed

It finally looks like it is summer down at the Mouse House.  The extensive rainfall made the colors vibrant and thriving. The aspens have reached full maturity; their branches are thick with leaves. The grass surrounding the site has grown about 5 inches since my last observation.  Also, a grass patch has spurred up directly in the Mouse House, poking out of its southern side.  I saw a male and female grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) interacting with one another. They seemed to have been teasing each other; perhaps this is a mating ritual. I saw two R-strategist organisms today.  One was a fly (Phormia regina) and the other was a spider ( Achaearanea tepidariorum) which was colored yellow and gray. I thought this coloring could be related to aposematic coloration, mimicry, or polymorphism. 

Poor victim of Ginger

Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

The Aspen averages a height usually 66–82 feet at maturity, with a trunk 7.9–31 inches in diameter. The bark is relatively smooth, greenish-white to gray, and is marked by thick black horizontal scars and prominent black knots. The leaves on mature trees are nearly round, 4–8 centimeters in diameter with small rounded teeth, and a 3–7 centimeters long, flattened petiole. The flowers are catkins 4–6 centimeters long, produced in early spring before the leaves; it is dioecious, with male and female catkins on different trees.

It distributes itself primarily through root sprouts, and extensive colonies. Each colony is its own clone, and all trees in the clone have identical characteristics and share a single root structure. A clone may turn color earlier or later in the fall than its neighboring aspen clones. Fall colors are usually bright tones of yellow; in some areas, red blushes may be seen occasionally.  They can live 40-150 years above ground, however their root systems last over thousands of years. Aspens do have seeds, however, they are extremely small (three million per pound), and don't last long because of their lack of food source and protective coating.

Aspens are abundant here in Jackson because they are generally found at altitudes of 5,000-12,000 feet and can survive without much water.  Populus tremuloides are found all throughout the North American continent, even reaching southern Mexico. They are deciduous trees, which means they re-bloom every spring. 

Observation 4

Date: June 3rd

Time of Day: 4:48 pm

Temperature: 60F

Weather Conditions: cloudy, raining

Wind Conditions: slight wind

Soil Conditions: extremely wet

Hypothesis: rain will bring more diversity to habitat

I predict with this rainfall, my site with become more biodiverse.  I have not seen very many R- strategists around the habitat, only trees, plants, and mosquitoes.  The K-strategists are also limited; I have only seen mice and a fox. However, I have seen a large amount of birds, such as, hummingbirds (Archilocus colubris), chickadees (Parus atricapillus), and red cross bills (Loxia curvirostra), etc. Yesterday I watched predator vs. prey while a fox caught a mouse.  I was too far away to document. The cotton wood trees (Populus deltoides) and dandelions (Taraxacum) are masting; their seeds have been carried by the wind and drift through the air. The aspens trees have reached full maturity.  This rainfall will add much color to the dry landscape, and provide a supple blanket of moisture.

Mouse

Observation 3

Mouse House

Date: May 31st

Time of Day: 2:51p.m.

Temperature: 66F

Weather Conditions: sunny, cloudy- looks as if it might thunderstorm

Wind Conditions: slight breeze

Soil Conditions: dry

Hypothesis: site hasn't changed 

I had my first mouse sighting today! It was crouched by one of the openings to the den, eating a piece of grass. As soon as I spotted it, the mouse ran into the camouflaged structure.  It was quite large; I'm assuming it is a fully matured mouse. I put a piece of cheese outside of the mouse house after the mouse left.  I am going to return later and see if it is eaten.  Since my last observation, not much has changed except for the soil.  It has become dry, which is predictable this time of year.  More dandelions have sprouted around the site.  There was cottonwood seeds drifting through the air, similar to dandelion seeds.  

Ruby Red Throated Hummingbird

http://www.dwmtech.com/Reference/Birds/rubyhummermale.jpg

Hummingbird (Archilochus Colubris)

The Hummingbird, also known as, Archilochus Colubris, only lives in North and South America. They are about 3.5inches in length and 3-4grams in weight. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds at a full grown stage. They are often brightly colored red and green, with a long beak used to suck nectar from flowers and to drink sugar water from feeders. They must drink their body weight in sugary juices every day to maintain their constant wing speed of 60-80 beats per minute. Also, they dine on small spiders and insects. The hummingbird’s heart beats at 250 bpm at rest, and 1,220 bpm while flying. Their average speed is 25mph, however they can reach up to 40mp in a nose dive. They are full grown once they leave the nest at about one month. Most hummingbirds die in their first year, however some live up to three years.
Similar to other birds, the males put on shows to attract female hummingbirds. They make their colors very vibrant, spread their wings, and fight with other males. Once they have won them over, the female builds the nest which is made out of spider webs and plant material, camouflaged with bits of lichen. Hummingbirds often live close to human residence so they can drink from flowers out of their garden, and suck sugar water from the feeders. During the winter, hummingbirds migrate down to Central America which is over 1,525 miles. It is estimated that it takes them only 20 hours to fly over the Gulf of Mexico.

Ginger Overseeing Mouse House

Observation 2

Location: Mouse House

Date: May 25th

Time of Day: 2:28pm

Temperature: 63F

Weather Conditions: cloudy, windy

Wind Conditions: very windy, large gusts

Soil Conditions: moist

Hypothesis: site has changed since recent rainfall

Since my last visit, a lot has changed around the Mouse House.  For example, the buds on the aspen trees have developed more. The premature catkins have been replaced with tiny green leaves.  Also, the soil has become moist due to the rainfall yesterday, and a few dandelions have spurred up surrounding the Mouse House.  I have not seen very many insects around my site.  Since the mice use camouflage and phenological separation to hide from their predators, I don't believe I will come into contact with them very much.  In my neighborhood we have a fox, and a few days ago, I saw it will a mouse in its jaws.  I realized that I do not know what mice eat or where they find water for their survival needs.  I am interested to study them for my first report on fauna.  

Mouse House Opening

Picture of the Mouse House

Observation 1: Mouse House

Mouse House
Date: May 21st
Time of Day: 6:00 p.m.
Temperature: 68 F
Weather Conditions: sunny
Wind Conditions: really mild breeze
Soil Conditions: very dry
Hypothesis: mice live here

The Mouse House is located near Snowking on Rodeo Drive, in the Morton's backyard. It is built into the side of a hill as shelter from my feline inhabitants- Alice and Ginger. The environment is quite dry, with many sticks and twigs as the main foundation of the house. The openings to the den are holes about 5in across. There are a few aspens lining the area, but their leaves haven't come in full term yet. I don't think they will offer much shade because they aren't very close to the site. The biotic factors surrounding are mice, grass, birds, insects, and aspens. There are a few hummingbirds at a feeder in one of the nearby trees. They offer a harmonic buzzing sound to the atmosphere. The abiotic factors are soil and loose rocks. When the rain levels increase, the soil will loosen up, and release some smaller rocks. I am positive mice live here because there is fur outside of the openings, and my cats always bring mice from this area. There were no sightings of mice today. I hope to see mice here because they only time I have seen one is dead, in the jaws of Ginger.