January 22, 2023
Blog Post #5
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
✩ Wildlife Activity ✩
╰┈➤ At first glance, the signs of wildlife in my area are nonexistent, however upon close inspection, it is actually revealed that many animals have visited this spot! There is an abundance of small tracks that could be made by miscellaneous rodents and dog pawprints (Figure 1). Most notably there were rabbit tracks (Figure 2) and some kind of scat that I identified could’ve been a fox but was most likely a small dog (Figure 3). The most exciting change for me was the little bites taken out of the mushrooms growing on the side of the logs, most likely snacked on by deer and squirrels (Figure 4).
✩ Phenological Changes ✩
╰┈➤ Snow!! So much snow! This isn’t the first time that I’ve been to my spot with snow on the ground, but this is definitely the most exciting. There was enough snow that it completely covered the leaf litter and actually masked some of the logs (and made me trip a few times). It was piled about 4 inches tall on the main fallen log, the epicenter of my phenological spot. There were also no leaves on the trees except for a few conifers hanging onto their needles. Surprisingly, some green ferns still poked through the snow, but I doubt they will hang on for much longer. I am also shocked that the mushrooms are still around. The ones on the ground have long since died or been eaten, but the Artist’s Bracket mushrooms on the log are still going strong, although they are a little chewed up. I’m guessing this is because they’re somewhat shielded from the elements by clinging to the side of the log and away from the freezing, wet ground. (Figure 5)
