For the week off of classes, I left Burlington and went home to Massachusetts. I live a short bike ride from Plum Island, a small barrier island on the north shore. The island is known for its beaches and birding. I chose to have my phenology spot on one if the beaches on Plum island.

As you walk out to the beach there is a scrubby bush that looks like buckthorn that lines the boardwalk. The bush thins out as you get closer to the beach. Tufts of dune grass sway in the wind and soak up all the sun. My phenology spot bordered the dunes. Drift wood had landed on the beach along with seaweed and, unfortunately, a lot of plastic. While at my site, I saw lots of seagulls as well as a barred owl in the bushes farther from the beach.

This site is a lot different from my site in Burlington. The land is clear of snow and it was warmer. The beach is clear of trees unlike my pine stand in Centennial woods.

Upon returning to my site, I was greeted with more snow, muddy footprints and tracks on and off the trail. This time, as I spent the afternoon in my phenology site, my mission was to find a way to categorize my plot. Using the Woodland, Wetland, Wildland guild I was able to compare my site to those described and match it to the type of forest. First of all, I would say that my site is an upland forest that is abundant with white pines and some hardwoods. The ground is normally covered in pine needles and ferns in the warmer months. After looking through the guide, analyzing my site, and looking at maps, I decided that my site is an Oak-Pine-Northern Hardwood Forest. By the size of the majority of the trees and the dead wood on the ground I hypothesized that it is in mid to late successional vegetation.

Although we have moved into March, the snow is still piling up. I visited just after a fresh dusting, yet there were already human tracks and a few, what looked to be dog tracks. Over towards the brook I realized that I could hear water running. The water was flowing among the ice but at a slow meandering rate.

The past few days have been cold and snowy. It doesn’t seem like spring is coming. But when it does, I will begin to see more changes occurring in my site. More birds, mud, and the first signs of green vegetation are on the horizon!