A UVM blog Salmon Hole Phenology Blog- Clare Vondra

On the last trip to Salmon Hole, the same familiar objects were there. The large log where my sit spot is, the waterfall, and the tree down by the edge of the water. The site has changed a lot phenologically since I first went there. Things are green and beginning to bloom. There was more bird and insect activity.

Salmon Hole is a unique spot because it is right at the edge of the city of Winooski. However, there is a lot of nature and wildlife in the natural area. It is nice that the city has access to a natural area so close. Nature and people directly mix with the use of the salmon elevator that brings salmon up the dam.

I think that I am a part of my place. I have spent a lot of time here observing and understanding the changes and the ecosystem. I know my way around the area and also feel very at peace here. I am glad I chose Salmon Hole as my phonology spot.

This Thursday two friends and I explored the Intervale area in Burlington right by the Winooski river. Most of the snow had melted and it was very muddy. The tracks we saw were very clear and easy to identify; we saw tons of domestic dog prints. It was fun to see the different shapes and sizes of the tracks.

Down by the edge of the river, we saw a really cool pattern I think is evidence of animals in the subnivian zone before the snow melted. It was little half tunnels zig-zagging through the mud. I enjoyed posting some of these mysteries to iNaturalist and getting responses as to what they could be.

I uploaded a picture of some sort of animal activity in a tree and was able to have it identified as a pileated Woodpecker.

Most of the tracks we saw were very easy to identify as the domestic dog. They were either too big or small to be a coyote and the toe pads were not even on both sides suggesting a domestic dog as opposed to a coyote. We also saw some red squirrel tacks that were identifiable by the toe drags.

I was on Thanksgiving break this week and decided to explore a phenology spot near my house. I took my horse (Brody – a very good boy) with me, and we went back to one of my favorite places. It is a large field, with an old traditional-style stone barn at the bottom and a great view of the valley at the top. I let Brody have a nice run to the stop and we paused there for a minute to appreciate the view.

The phenology of this area is different from that of Vermont. For one, this spot is much more urban, instead of forests and wild growth there is a lot of clear-cutting for farmland. When I looked down from the top there were few trees, with the odd eastern Hemlock planted by the roadside. Instead, there were sprawling hay and corn fields, dead for the winter.

Overall it was a great time to spend in nature. The sun was out and there was a light breeze. It was crips and very quiet despite being so close to the street and the village of Nantmeal.

Salmon Hole is a fishing spot in the Winooski River. I chose this for my phenology spot because it is close to campus and has a mix of forest and river landscapes. To get to Salmon Hole, look for the parking lot off Riverside Avenue. There is a marked trail down to Salmon Hole from the parking lot. 

Vegetation

Walking down to the river, there is a buffer of trees and shrubs. I saw patches of wild strawberries and a few larger ash trees. As we got closer to the river, the vegetation became more shrubby with a lot of Riverbank Grapes and sumac. There was a gorgeous black cherry tree on the walk-in just above the staircase to get down to the edge of the river. The rocks along the edge of the river were very interesting looking. They had deep grooves and were very smooth.

Riverbank Grape

Ash Tree

Woodland strawberry

Grey Alder

Staghorn Sumac

Eastern Cottonwood

American Bittersweet

Red Osier Dogwood

Black Cherry