Labeled Twig of American Basswood
I added the pictures from the first trip out to my phenology spot just to show how large of a change has occurred between the seasons. An area once teeming with life of all types- plants, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals- is now quiet, barren and covered with a thick layer of snow. A lush meadow is now only marked by human tracks in the snow- people in search of nature they will seldom find at this point of year. Not much has changed since the last visit, though the few bird calls I had heard last time would have been welcomed with open arms. The forest was eerily silent during my whole trip- no birds, no animals, not even wind, as the falling snow muffled my ears.