Below is a picture of the current condition of my phenology site. All of the hardwoods have dropped their leaves for the winter and all that remains in the canopy is the Eastern white pines and Eastern hemlocks. Additionally, more trees have fallen from the high winds over the weeks.
What I have enjoyed the most about my phenology site is the cute little stream that runs through it. The water is super clear and there as several pretty deep pools that have developed. I look forward to seeing the herp activity in the spring and early summer.
The remaining green vegetation at my phenology site are ferns, bryophytes, and sedges. Additionally, I observed that the leaf litter seemed to be a little less thick than last time despite all the trees having shed their leaves.
Signs of wildlife I noticed were some dog tracks and a small tunnel near the bank of the stream. My guess the tunnel could be the work of a salamander or other herpetofauna finding some place warm. There was also the occasional sound of a squirrel or chipmunk rustling in the leaves. I was unable to find any scat or any tree markings.
The wildlife activity on this site has seem to quiet down. I think this is a combination of the colder temperatures and that area is regularly visited by people.
