Mt. Baldy (not quite) Part 3

Apparently after significant cutting back, I still had a monstrously large post, so this is the third of four parts about Thursday, March 31, 2011

3/31/11

            As I passed through this area and proceeded in the general direction of Mt. Baldy accompanied by the occasional outburst of crane trumpeting, I came across a dead coyote (Canis latrans) which clearly had died during the winter since the carcass had not been molested yet. In some odd coincidence the quality and health of the wetlands noticeably began to decrease as I proceeded past the deceased canine. The north side of the road soon became oak savannahs. I noticed after I had mounted one of the dunes on which these savannahs sat something peculiar. Ascending the hill/dune from the south, the dominant plant was red and black oaks and there were clear signs of periodic fires occurring but as soon as I reached the top the entire north face was suddenly of the white oak variety and almost no sign of previous fires.

Red and black oaks are more fire tolerant than white oaks. While I’m no expert, the only explanation I could come up with was that winds coming off the lake, which was to the north, were preventing fires that occurred from cresting the hill/dune and proceeding to burn the north face of the hill while the south face was not spared. This dynamic creates conditions suitable for white and black/red oaks respectively and hence the immediate vegetative change at the peak. Maybe as the year progresses and other plants emerge I’ll notice a similar dynamic of fire tolerant and intolerant. It was also within these savannahs that a decent number of White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were present. Compared to the ones found in Chicago parks these were very skittish, which I guess isn’t terribly surprising considering that urban deer tend to be more comfortable with humans out of necessity.

Upon reaching a cross roads I was treated to some excellent views of a great blue heron (Ardea herodius) in flight and then the state endangered Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) but the woodpeckers, like the tufted titmouse, were not cooperating with my camera. At this point I turned toward the lake and rapidly approached some massive dunes. At this point I completely lost interest in birds, though it seems as if there was nothing but a lone Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) out there anyway. These dunes were massive. Towering and rolling into one another becoming successively higher after every dip with highlights of white sand, these dunes were dominated by Marram grass (Ammophila breviligulata) and, to a lesser degree, little blue stem (Schizachyrium scoparium). There was no sign of new growth yet so small sand colored waves of last year’s grass layered ripples on top of the rolling effect of the dunes.

As you approach the highest dune the Marram grass gives way to a small number of dogwoods (Cornus sp.) which in turn yield to woodland. In this way the ecesis (establishment of vegetation) of the dune takes place via Marram, a pioneer plant, to dogwood, to the climax stage of a wooded psammosere (sand based environment). But why the lower dunes proceeding in the same direction I was traveling were all woodland is beyond me.

To Be Continued