Go Outside and Observe

For my environmental science class I had to sit outside in my backyard for twenty minutes and observe the sphere around me. I needed to make observations of the biotic and abiotic things around me. I sat on the floor of my patio in my back yard. I sat on the cement, so I was down on the floor. While I was sitting on the ground I observed a trail of ants. Some of the ants had food and they seemed to be carrying it somewhere. They were all in a line. They were heading towards the grass. I was amazed how they stayed together and they all followed the line. I also observed some birds on top of a tree that is in my back yard. They were making noises. There were only two of them or maybe more. I could only see two. They were just up on the tree, not doing anything in particular just making some noises. At the moment I did not know what kind of birds they were, but after my observation I researched them. According to what I researched, they might be the California Towhee bird. The birds I saw look like these birds and make sounds like these birds. I was amazed on how loud they are. They were short and fat. Also, coming towards my leg there was a scary looking animal. I got scared got up and moved from my spot. I thought it was going to bite me. I been bitten by one of those animals before, but I did not know its name, so I also researched it. It turns out it is an Earwig or pincher bug. These bugs scare me. They have hooks and they pinch you. The pinch is not as bad, but they are scary looking. I was also looking at another tree we been having in our back yards for years. It was kind of windy in the afternoon when I did my observation, so I paid attention to how it was moving and what was on the tree. This tree is green and it has yellow round fruits hanging from its ends. I did not know its name, so I also researched it because my brothers and I love to eat the yellow round fruits. The tree sometimes has too many of the yellow fruits we eat and they also fall on the ground if we do not eat them. From my research I found out it was a Loquat tree. Overall, I saw more living things than non-living during my observation. I did not notice any relationships within the species I saw. I liked doing this outside observation because it was relaxing and it got me thinking about the things around that we do not really notice that are there. I am still amazed how many times a day I’m outside and I never pay attention to the noises birds make or where ants take their food. Also, I never knew the name of the tree that is outside in my backyard until I did this assignment for my environmental class. It is good once in a while to go outside and observe our surroundings and see what we can find. Below you will find pictures of the species I observed. Picture from these sites: http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/california_towhee_1.htm http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101209/full/news.2010.662.html http://blueskypest.com/pest-control/earwigs/ http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/this-fruit-tree-is-perfect-for-a-mild-climate-bird-loving-garden/