January 24th

There are many phenological changes that have taken place since I have last returned to my phenology spot. The whole area is covered in about six inches of snow and the pond has completely frozen over. The area was silent except for several cawing crows, marking the absence of normally active songbirds. I watched a grey squirrel climb an eastern cottonwood tree, going back into a hole he had found to stay warm. There were no green plants, and the woody trees and vegetation were completely bare. Although the area was quiet when I visited, there was evidence of many animals passing through, most likely at dawn and dusk. There were many deer tracks, some squirrels, and possibly a raccoon or a mink. There were several twigs on the younger trees that had been bitten off by the deer, who had passed through for food, while the smaller animals were probably searching for seeds and finding a place to hide under the snow. It was cool to clearly see where the animals had gone, and try to think about who they were and why they were there.