October 18, 2018

17:51

39 F

Light Breeze and Chilly

Since my previous visit to my observation spot the landscape by my Winooski River oasis has changed in some ways, but remained unchanged in ways that surprised me. I think of the second week in October as the heart of the fall season. I would have expected the foliage on the trees to have a greater variety of color. However, the trees are missing the expected blaze of yellow, orange and red. The vegetation has changed a bit (in size and fullness), but most of leaves on the trees are still green. The warmer temperatures this fall are likely slowing down this process. Also, I wonder if the close proximity to the river also contributes to this. While the leaves have not changed much, there was clearly evidence of wildlife. When I first approached my spot this week I instantly noticed that there was a lot of beaver sign. Encounters with wildlife habitat are important to me. I like that I’m sharing this spot with beavers. My usually observation spot was trampled down by beavers to use  for access in and out of the river. First and foremost this is the beavers space, so I decided to move my spot so they could have this space to themselves. I went down closer to the main part of the Winooski River for this visit to get a new perspective. To my great surprise, I heard a splashing sound, it was the Beaver! It swam right up the river and turned around in front of me, almost like it was acknowledging that I was there. I am really excited that beavers are living in my spot. I reflected on the focal species, and realized that it was a thrill to see the beaver in action, but also the presence of the beaver is a sign of the overall health of the habitat. Next time I want to explore a bit more and figure out where they are living as there was not an obvious lodge in the area. Today, the unexpected observations cheered me up and reminded me of why observation in nature is so important. The time to sit, observe and wonder led to experiencing the magic of the natural world.

My map (located at the bottom) shows the surrounding area to the best of my ability. When you compare my map with google earth you are able to see the area that my map is showing.

Beaver sign

Trampled down area from the beavers

My favorite leaning tree, still holding on to its green color.

Birds eye view of the location.