Resources

Eaton Canyon Nature Center. Eaton Canyon Natural Area. n.p. 18 May 1995. Web. 29, 31 Oct. & 12
Nov. 2012

Eaton, Eric. R. "Tucson Grasshopper Story o TV." blogspot.com. Blogspot. 22 Apr. 2009. Web. 8 Nov. 2012.

Bird's eye view

Bird's eye view of our site.

List of Animals

List of Animals

Audubon's Cottontail

Scientific Name: Sylvilagus audubonii

Abundance: 1

Great Basin Fence Lizard

Scientific Name: Sceloporus occidentalis

Abundance: about 5

Nuttal's Woodpecker

Scientific Name: Picoides Nuttallii 

Abundance: 2

Pallid-winged Grasshopper

Scientific Name: Trimerotropis pallidipennis

Abundance: about 4

Bluejay

Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata

Abundance: 2

Honeybee

Scientific Name: Apis mellifera

Abundance: about 10

Mule Deer

Scientific Name: Odocoileus hemionus

Abundance: Tracks, evidence of presence

List of Plants

List of Plants

 Poison Oak

Scientific Name: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Abundance: About 20

Black Mustard

Scientific Name: Brssica nigra

Abundance: About 3

Black Sage

Scientific Name: Salvia mellifera

Abundance: About 25

Western Sycamore

Scientific Name: Plantus vacemosa

Abundance: About 4

Prickly Pear Cactus

Scientific Name: Opuntia littoralis

Abundance: About 2

Whipple Yucca

Scientific Name: Yucca whipplei ssp. parishii

Abundance: About 1

Site Description

Site Description

Location: Eaton Canyon (Pasadena, CA)

Habitat: Chaparral

Dimensions of Site: About 25 paces wide and 50 paces long

Some specific characteristics of our area of Eaton Canyon was that the soil was very dusty and dry, almost like sand. There was sparse ground cover, which was more common in shaded areas. However, our area was mostly sunny and dry. The most common plant in our area was black sage. The area was a dried up river bed and it's bank. As a result, it had a lower level and higher level of ground. The lower level (which was the river bed) was populated by black sage and a few young western sycamores. It was also much rockier than the higher level of our area. On the higher, riverbank area, there was whipple yucca, prickly pear cacti, and more black sage. There was also some black mustard. There was also evidence of plants on the way to our site, with one of the most common trees being oak trees and an abundance of poison oak. We also saw a variety of animal species, too. There was an Audubon's Cottontail inside a bush, and there were also many Great Basin Fence Lizards sunning themselves on the rocks. Some insects that were in the area include Pallid-winged Grasshoppers and honeybees. There was evidence of birds such as the sound of a woodpecker in a nearby tree. We also saw many other birds flying in and out of trees, including a bluejay. We also found evidence of deer present in the area because there were deer tracks in the dirt.  

Mia's Observation Log

Observation Log

By: Mia Palencia

October 29 2012

Temperature: somewhat hot, body estimation: 78 degrees fahrenheit 

Weather: sunny, no clouds in sight, little to no wind, somewhat dry

1147 hrs. -  I hear a very constant buzzing in my ear. It sounded like a busy bee or a mosquito ringing. A slight breezy creates a howl. There are two very tiny grasshoppers that pass by. 

1152 hrs. - A dry dead bush near me shuffles. Next I see a lizard crawling near the bush.

1200 hrs. - A bluejay gracely flies across the sky in a relaxed manner. A high pitched noise is heard and wind rustles trees and plants creating a calm noise. Everything seems to be moving. Then, it is very still and quiet. Temperature seems to rise as sun seems brighter. 

1205 hrs. - Nothing seems to be happening. Trees are still. No birds in sight. It is very quiet and lonesome. Sun seems to be getting brighter.

1209 hrs. - An unidentified bird circles the sky and quickly disapears. Flies have found me. They seem to like a pile of dirt not to far away from me. Buzzing sound seems very loud. 

1220 hrs. - A grasshopper passes by me. Trees are still. Flies seem to have dissapeared. A bird swoops into  a nearby tree and seems to settle there. 

A lizard and a rabbit (video)

The lizard is a Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis lonipipes) and the rabbit is a Audubon's Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii). This video was taken on October 29, 2012.

Black Mustard

This is Black Mustard (Brassica nigra). This plant can grow up to six feet and it's flowering season is from March to July. The seeds of this plant look like slivers lying along the stem. This picture was taken on October 29, 2012.

Woodpecker tapping on tree (video)

This video was taken on October 29, 2012.

Poison Oak

This is Poison Oak  (Toxicodendron diversilobum) It can take the form of either a vine or a shrub and causes severe skin irritation to humans when touched. 

This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Overview of the area we were observing

This video was taken on October 29, 2012.

Bettina's Observation Log

Observation Log

By: Bettina Lee

1150 hrs.- The date is October 29, 2012. The weather is sunny with no clouds and you can hear the tapping of a woodpecker. and chirping birds. The temperature was approximately 25.6 degrees Celsius. 

1155 hrs.- I saw a deer pass by but was unable to take a picture.

1157 hrs.- A light orange butterfly was seen flying by. 

1159 hrs.-A light yellow butterfly was seen passing by and a fly was buzzing around me. 

1205 hrs.-I saw a blue bird with a white stomach fly overhead. 

1209 hrs.-The woodpecker has stopped tapping

1213 hrs.-Aside from the aforementioned chirping, a different kind of chirping that it similar to a squawk can be heard. 

1215 hrs.- Two grasshoppers have hopped by.

1220 hrs.-Another blue bird has flown by. 

Black Sage

.

This is Black Sage (Salvia mellifera). Black Sage is big and bushy, although at this time of year it was brown and dry. There also appeared to be dry, reddish, bud type flowers. Theses were also very dry. It also had very small, thin, green leaves. This was the most densely populated plant in our area. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Grasshopper

We saw this Pallid-winged Grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis) sitting on a sunny rock. It is a skilled jumper and flier, and it blends in well with the surrounding shrubs. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Sycamore Leaves

These are leaves of the young Western Sycamore (Plantanus racemosa) trees that were in our area. The leaves are somewhat star shaped, and resemble maple leaves. At this time of year, they were starting to dry out but were still mostly green.  This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Bush Landscape

Here is another photo of the riverbed. It was mostly populated by Black Sage, which are the brown bushes that you can see in this picture. As you can see, there are also a lot of rocks. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Riverbed Landscape with Trees

This is the lower part of the area we were observing. As you can see, it is a dry riverbed with young Sycamore trees. It also included whipple yucca, black sage, and cacti, to name few other plants. The soil was very dusty, and there were a lot of rocks, which were perfect for lizards to sun themselves on. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Cactus

This is a Coastal Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia littoralis). It has sharp spines and flat stems. It was not blooming at this time of the year, but it is capable of producing flowers. The flat stems are a light green color, and the spines are very sharp, which the plant uses to protect itself. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Whipple Yucca

This is a photo of a Whipple Yucca (Yucca whiplei ssp. parishii). As you can see, it has pointed, bule-green leaves and during it's blooming season, a large stalk grows from the middle of it. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Lizard

We saw this Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis lonipipes) sunning itself on a rock. It is a light brown color with darker spots on it's side and relatively large, rough scales. It was also able to run very fast. We were able to get the picture just before it ran away. This photo was taken on October 29, 2012.

Abby's Observation Log

Observation Log

By: Abby Marich

1150 hrs. - The date was October 29, 2012. The temperature in our area of Eaton Canyon was about 25.5 degrees Celsius. It was hot, sunny, and dry. The sound of a woodpecker could be heard coming from a nearby tree.

1155 hrs. - I could hear a lot of birds singing, as well as the chirping sound of crickets. I saw something rustling in a nearby bush, most likely a lizard.

1200 hrs. - A grasshopper flew past me and landed on a nearby rock.

1205 hrs. - Some kind of small, pale orange moth or butterfly flew out of a nearby bush.

1210 hrs. - I spotted a Great Basin Fence Lizard on a rock. I also saw a bluejay and another grasshopper.

1215 hrs. - There were strange clicking sounds coming from various bushes. My hypothesis is that the sounds were made by insects.

1220 hrs. - Birds were still chirping, and I occasionally saw a few flying in or out of trees.