HEY COOL CATAMOUNTS AND KITTENS! This week I returned to my serene location at the confluence of Potash Brook and Lake Champlain. Unfortunately, I did not make it before the snow melted and missed out on the opportunity to look for tracks. Luckily there is a sandy beach at my spot that preserves tracks quite well. Among them, I found some white tailed dear tracks from the water retreating back into the woods. Perhaps someone was a little thirsty? There were also a few crisscrossing bird tracks, but not quite as many as earlier this year when the beach was completely covered. I suspect the last few seagulls hanging around the area are the culprits.
As we transition seasons and head into the depths of winter, the trees are bare of leaves (except for the pines, of course) and there are less signs of animal activity as they become dormant or less active to conserve energy during these harsh times. Squirrel activity was limited, and I didn’t see any birds flying around. In the windy conditions, I spotted some white caps out on the turbulent lake. The water right at the delta wasn’t frozen over, but a few feet down the stream, where the depth of the water was about 4-6in, there were sheets of ice among the stream edges.
It was nice to be able to say a final goodbye to this spot after observing it through the seasons. I look forward to visiting next semester and possibly in the warmer months to investigate possible algal blooms. In the mean time, so long to my beloved peaceful sit spot!