Happy 2023! Here is my first post of the new semester!

I was super excited when I got to my phenology spot on Friday (1/27) because I had yet to have seen any signs of animals, buuuut this time there were a few tracks and even a pile of scat!

A pile of scat in the snow along with some animal tracks.

I did attempt to identify which animal the scat could be from, but it didn’t really match any of the drawings in the manual we have. I think it might be just dog poop unfortunately… However, the tracks were interesting because they weren’t dog paws, but rather hooves, so I think they’re from a deer because they’re definitely not large enough for a moose.

Animal tracks that I think are from a deer.

Other than the great amount of snow that has arrived since my last visit, my site hasn’t changed too much other than the deciduous trees having lost their final leaves, so they’re bare now.

My favorite yellow birch and some other trees covered in snow.

I absolutely love how the snow looks around Centennial Woods! It was fun to see a few snowmen around my area; one of them was even reading the trail map 🙂

A snowman trying to find his way around Centennial Woods.

I can’t wait to continue visiting my site throughout the rest of winter and into the spring! As someone who prefers the cold, I would love even more snow! I’m excited to see what’s to come in this new semester…

Me at my snowy phenology site!