For my Phenology spot, I decided to choose the Salmon Hole on the Winooski River. Not only is it a very short walk from Trinity campus where I live, but it’s also a beautiful spot to walk and enjoy the beauty of a Vermont landscape. The first time I visited the Salmon Hole was actually with my parents when they came to visit and the sunset happened to be beautiful that night. The gorgeous colors of the sky reflected in the river, the rushing of the water, the exposed rock, and beautiful diversity of plants made me want to keep coming back.
On my first “official” visit to the Salmon Hole, I was much more attentive to the types of trees and shrubs found near the river. In particular, I noticed a plethora of Northern Red Oak, Norway Maple, and Sugar Maple, as well as a couple of Paper Birch, Eastern Cottonwood, American Beech, Green Ash, and White Ash. In terms of shrubs and other plants, I saw mostly Buckthorn (common and glossy), Goldenrod, and a few ferns. Based on my previous knowledge from class, many of these species are very hardy and tolerant of a wide variety of environmental conditions. It would make sense, then, why they are found at this site, which is very rocky/sandy and surrounded by urbanization.
What’s more, I found a few mushrooms near the Salmon Hole. Though I was unable to identify them, they were very exciting finds! The sight of fungi paired with the fact that many of the leaves on the trees were starting to turn color and fall to the ground were signs that autumn is in full swing. I didn’t see any wildlife during this visit, but I did hear a couple of animal calls, which I will include audio of below.
Blue jay call (?)
Unidentified call (squirrel chatter?)
Image of shrubs and trees a few feet beyond the shore of the Winooski river, some showing signs of the fall season (turning color, leaves on the ground)
Fungi growing off of a fallen paper birch (Betula papyrifera), with some glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) in the background
Orange fungi found on a fallen tree with common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) growing around it
A polypore fungi found on a standing tree
Google map location of where I was doing my identification