Is Spring Here Yet?

Friday, March 8, 2019

Weather: Sunny, 10-15 degrees

Snow cover: 6 inches

Birds at this spot: Black-Capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse (heard), Northern Cardinal (heard), American Goldfinch (heard).

I went to visit my site today to see if the grip of winter has lessened. I was able to witness a few faint signs of spring. The first of these was hearing a cardinal singing, one of the first birds to break into song. I also noticed many rodent trails around the woods, indicating that they are starting to wake up from hibernation. In fact, there were many tracks all around.

Sometimes I like to look back on how much Centennial Thicket has changed since I first started visiting. Below is a picture taken on my first visit to this place, and then today’s visit.

I would classify my spot as part of a young (overall) Northern Hardwood Forest, since many deciduous trees, such as Horsechestnut, Boxelder, and Black Cherry, are found there. However, many of these trees are quite short, not more than 40 feet tall. This leads me to believe that the forest is pretty young, as imagery from the 1930s shows no forest at all. My spot does border some mixed forest that mainly consists of Eastern White Pines, but it only takes up a small portion of the area. I’m sure I’ll be able to see more defining details of Centennial Thicket’s main natural community in the future. I look forward to seeing spring arrive in all of its vibrant colors, and wonder what I might find then!

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