23/5/2022 9:20-11:30 AM

Lots of activity at the park.
Still failed to ID the two conifers at the entrance- the one I know, White Pine, has at least two lichen and some mass on it, not sure if dried sap or a growth, or it's a weird fungi.
After I was done checking out the Pine I saw a red mass and thought it was meat and it turns out to be the severed head of a Bullhead fish, just laying there in the mulch, some organs still attached, intestines leaving its body.
Multiple geese were hanging out by the water, saw some sparrows, more lichen, a spider that hid before I could take a pic.
Went to the "island" part and saw a bunch of violets growing and they smelled nice.
Went back towards the geese, saw a squirrel, a small bullhead near some muck, recorded some Blackbirds, then a male Mallard flew in, scared me a little, I got excited and tried to get a better angle on it and a female Mallard was hiding in the plants in the water and spooked me as well.
Saw thousands of tadpoles, I think they're American toads, as they swarmed the park and my window well last July-August.
Saw a weird fish hanging out by the tadpoles, it's face looked like it was skinned, it drifted around, looked like it was close to tipping over, and was missing a few scales, only reacted with a stick I tossed in bumped it and it nearly got knocked over.
As I was leaving I saw a small head or snout sticking out in the water, first thought was beaver or muskrat, but then I saw a wide back and spiky tail and thought Alligator? Then I realized it was likely a turtle of some sort.
When I walked to the island to find the turtle I found a clump of hair that might have belonged to a rodent or some other small mammal but was killed by a raptor. May have been hunted by whatever killed the bullhead by the tree.

Posted on May 23, 2022 05:31 PM by thenamesjonas thenamesjonas

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Rosette Lichens (Genus Physcia)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 09:24 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Marsh Blue Violet (Viola cucullata)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 09:48 AM CDT

Description

Smells nice

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:07 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bullheads (Genus Ameiurus)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:04 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:26 AM CDT

Description

Tadpoles, possible American Toad, which I think is the frog species that will soon explode in population in the next month or so.

Photos / Sounds

What

Carps and Minnows (Suborder Cyprinoidei)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:39 AM CDT

Description

Scaly fish that was moving sluggish, part of its face looked like it was missing, and it did not react to a stick dropping in the water above it, not sure if injured or normal for this kind of fish

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 11:08 AM CDT

Description

Appears to be a mass of fur, possibly also crushed bone and skin- left overs from a raptor?

Photos / Sounds

What

Bullheads (Genus Ameiurus)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 11:16 AM CDT

Description

Severed catfish(?) Head in some mulch

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Lichens (Class Lecanoromycetes)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 09:21 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 09:25 AM CDT

Description

Unknown. Could be a fungus, dried sap, weird growth, disease

Photos / Sounds

What

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 09:31 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 09:59 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:00 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:10 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Observer

thenamesjonas

Date

May 23, 2022 10:59 AM CDT

Description

All I saw was a snout/head, a wide flat back, and a long spiky tail
I took a video of it slowly swimming but I can't post it here

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