This January I have returned to my original phenology spot, tucked behind the back five. Surprisingly, this area has a decent amount of traffic, but around the edges of the woods, you can see some untouched snow with some tracks. A majority of the tracks I was able to find in the untouched snow were from gray squirrels, leading up some of the nearby pine trees. I checked the branches of the trees for any signs of nests from squirrels or birds, but there were no thick masses of twigs and leaves to be spotted in the bare trees. I was able to find these tracks a few days apart in different areas surrounding my phenology spot.
The greatest phenological change I have noticed has been the loss of all leaves on most of the trees that tend to drop their leaves in the winter. The eastern white pines still stand with their needles, and quite a few new sprigs show up each week. The remaining beech trees, paper birches, and red maples remain bare and stagnant. Most of the leaves that were originally on the ground from the last time I was able to visit have blown off or become covered in snow. It is much calmer than before; the blanket of snow and bare branches allow you to listen to the whistle of the winds in the trees while you are standing there.