This week I explored a new phenology spot as Sunny Hollow unfortunately became unaccessible to me. I chose Centennial Woods Natural Area and found a spot near the stream that has a variety of plant life as well as many interesting natural features. The open land adjacent to the stream is very wet aiding in the growth of Red-Osier Dogwood which was budding and brightly pigmented. These buds were easily identifiable due to their color and opposite branching pattern. These stems develop in color as the sun shines explaining their vibrant hue.
I also observed what I believe to be a Male Fern that was budding on the roots of a very large downed tree. The shape of it’s buds intrigued me, and I only realized it was a fern once I saw the two smaller baby ferns emerging the buds. These ferns are known to enjoy rich forest soils and have been observed in Vermont and New Hampshire.
In terms of wildlife I did not observe any animals while exploring my spot. However I did hear the birds chirping and found some evidence of Woodpecker activity on two trees. One tree is a nurse log that seems to have older woodpecker holes. The second is a much younger tree that has holes that look fresh based on the color of the exposed wood (the photo quality is not the best but the tree in the background is the second one).
Finally I wanted to conclude this post by adding an image of the specific area I chose. I chose this spot because it is right on the stream so I can see if there are any noticeable changes to the stream velocity. As I said earlier this stream is close to a very damp open area that has a lot of diverse understory growth. Across the stream is a more dense forest housing a variety of coniferous and deciduous trees. The most notable species I observed was the Eastern White Pine which seemed to be shedding a lot of branches throughout the forest. And finally my spot has a nice fallen log that is perfect for sitting and observing the nature.
