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                         a   S T A M M E R  project              

2007 December 1 & 2, Saturday & Sunday

On Saturday morning there was still a fine layer of ice on the pond that would melt during the rest of the day. Much more inhospitable were the temperatures two weeks ago when we measured -6ºC in the morning inside the caravan and there was a thick ice layer on the pond.

Little by little the shore is invaded by green spots, especially on the inside of the pond where the plants haven't suffered from the very dry autumn this year.

The pond with a thin sheet of ice.
Looking north-west.
Saturday 12:24

Two weeks ago: the ice was strong enough to support the photographer.
Photograph taken on Sunday
 18 November 8:45

Edge of the pond with some tussocks of Bromus diandrus and Setaria pumila.
Sunday 9:25

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Fortunately it had rained quite heavily some days ago and although the vegetation still looked quite dead and dry (partly from the frost), some organisms had clearly taken advantage of the moist. Scattered over the

terrain I found many mushrooms of Astraeus hygrometricus whose 'stars' had exploded after absorbing the rain water.

Unidentified remains this mysterious gelatinous fungus (?) which was quite abundant on the higher central terrace where there is little vegetation.

Overview of the lower northern terrace, looking south_east.
Sunday 10:29

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We discovered many signs of animal activity. This could be the result of an improved awareness on our part but perhaps the presence of the pond has also significantly boosted wildlife. All over the terrain the trails can be seen of fox, hare, badger or similar sized animal.

On many places were the remains of the slaughtering of snails. The poor creatures were smashed on anvils of stone, a typical method of thrushes but not a bird that I have often seen on the terrain.

This trail seems to go directly to the pond.
Saturday 16:11

More than 20 of these anvils could be found all over the terrain.
Saturday 15:50

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Another unmistakeable sign of animal activity is a quite abundant variety of droppings. I will spare the reader a detailed graphical account of the matter with the exception of the products of the hare (Lepus europaeus). It seems to use the different stone groups as a kind of toilet because I found there a considerable amount of its droppings. This gave me a luminous idea: I decided to stick them in all kinds of holes and cracks in the same stones. Let's see what plants will take advantage of these unique niches.

Hare droppings on a stonegroup on the higher western terrace.
Saturday 15:30

Hare droppings on a stonegroup on the lower northern terrace.
Saturday 13:59

Incrusted droppings in the stonegroup on the lower northern terrace.
Saturday 14:03

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Insect life is on a low level on these frosty days and I was quite surprised to discover a complete fire brigade of Pyrrhocoris apterus, which should already have retired into hibernation. The future of mankind might depend on this tiny little firebug. According to an article published in Businessweek (issue of September 2, 2002) scientists have isolated a peptide (pyrrhocorin) from this animal that is remarkable effective in killing,ever getting more aggressive, bacteria without affecting human beings.

The photograph shows a somewhat beaten Pale Stonecrop (Sedum sediforme). I suppose that some animal has been picking on them, in the meantime helping the spread of this succulent because the broken off pieces root with a remarkable facility.

introduction
floristic catalogue
faunistic catalogue
contact
index
gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-
map
>> 2008 Jan 12
<< 2007 Nov  3