February 4th
My phenology spot is much more snowy than the last time I visited! There is no perfect way to describe the beauty of the soft white blanket of snow that covers the ground and lumps over rocks and bushes so flawlessly. The tree branches are weighted down by inches of this snow, and a few flakes flurry in the air. The air feels different to breathe; it is cold and crisp in my lungs. Although my spot seems more quiet than usual with an absence of insects buzzing and fewer birds chirping, there is clearly evidence of life passing by and living here. The most prominent thing I see is the path of a deer. Before even finding its tracks, I pick up on its presence when I see the nibbled twigs of a fallen hemlock tree (photo 1); what a yummy snack! Then I look down and see its deep tracks, perfectly visible in the deep snow (photo 2). Nearby is a pile of deer scat (photo 3)… gotta make room for the hemlock by letting something out! I find some other interesting animal signs including the wing imprint of a bird flying close to the snow (photo 4), some red squirrel tracks (photos 5&6), and some holes in a tree carved out by a woodpecker (photo 7).
I was able to identify several deciduous tree species while visiting my site by observing their buds. I quickly found a sugar maple (photos 1&2) and a red maple (photo 3), which look similar, but are easily distinguishable because of the red maple bud’s red color. I also found a few beech trees (photo 4), whose long, pointy, lateral buds look different from many other tree species. I believe I also found an ash (photo 5), as these buds were rough, dry, and not pointy, and a black oak (photo 6), whose buds were sharp and pointed, yet different from the maples.
Below is a sketch of sugar maple bud.
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