Returning home for spring break, I was pleasantly surprised by the comparatively warm weather of Massachusetts. I found that 60 degree weather makes it much more enjoyable to spend time examining a phenology site. For my new site over break I chose to study a local nature reserve where I often walk my dog. Specifically I wanted to examine a vernal pool surrounded by hardwoods which I knew to be hunting grounds of great horned owls. I ended up not seeing any owls but I did find signs of them and many other animals in and around the vernal pool. Due to the warm weather and a recent thunderstorm, nearly all of the snow in the area had melted leaving a muddy mess that was a pain to walk through, but made finding tracks easy. I was able to identify squirrel, deer, dog, and racoon track in the mud of the vernal pool. After some more investigating I found droppings and owl pellets at the base of a black oak tree. This area is ideal habitat for owls as it offers them easy access to prey as the come to the vernal pool for water and food. They tend to nest nearby in a grove of white pines only 100 yards away. Other than these pine trees, the majority of the forest surrounding the vernal pool are hardwoods including black oak, black locust, buckthorn, and red maple. Over all it was really interesting to see how the phenology of this site differed from centennial brook. Many of the trees surrounding the vernal pool had much larger buds, there was also far more animal activity here compared to my Burlington site. It definitely feels a lot more like spring here than in Vermont and it seems like the woods are preparing to come alive with new life.

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