Visited February 15, 2022 12:10pm; 54℉ and windy
I explored a forested area of the Old East End for this phenology assignment, close to UVM’s Trinity campus but beyond campus grounds. Unfortunately, I chose a bad time to visit, as most of the snow was either melted or iced over. Although I’ve visited this area post-snow storm and seen many tracks and evidence of wildlife, I had a lot of difficulties finding any evidence of wildlife. My wildlife-identifying skills are also not sharp enough for accurate identification.
I made three observations, and am not confident about any of them.
This is the observation I am most confident in. It is likely some sort of woodpecker. I don’t know enough about woodpeckers to narrow down the ID to a species based on the holes left in the tree.
These markings were seen on a tree near the other one. I initially thought it showed signs of beaver activity due to the torn-up wood near the ground. Still, I have changed my thinking after receiving some community feedback on iNaturalist. Due to the smaller holes present, I now think it shows signs of woodpecker activity.
This is the only actual animal track that was left in this area of the woods. Everything else was fully melted away or too melted to even try to identify. I have no clue what this could be from, but it was moving down a steep hill.
Tracking is definitely not my forte but I am looking forward to improving my skills and learning from my classmates throughout the rest of winter.