Welcome back to Centennial Woods! This week my Phenology spot looked very different than before. I honestly had a hard time finding it, since all of the ground was covered with fallen leaves except for the creek. It was a beautiful day to be observing nature. It was about 72°F on November 6th, and it was this weird mix of the sky having really dark clouds yet the sun was still shining warmth onto my spot. It spelled like rain and leaves, and the wind was crazy at around 19mph. The trees all around me are creaking and completely empty of their leaves except for the now yellow Norway Maples situated right by the edge of the creek. Their leaves are rustling loud in the wind and a few tumble down to the river bank below. There is the sounds of at least three different birds all around the area.
I heard a loud rustling and looked over to see a squirrel carefully bending off a log to grab a drink of water from the creek. I am going to name them Bill in hopes they come back throughout the seasons. The water level is a lot lower than before, and you cannot even hear the sound of it unless a leaf gently splashes on the surface. I can still spot a few little fish swimming by if I sit still for long enough.
Bill the Squirrel drinking from the creek!
The vegetation is looking a lot more barren this week due to all the leaves haven falling off. Two weeks ago, the Japanese Barberry I found was bright green and has now faded to an orange color with less leaves. The Honeysuckle on the river bank is now a light yellow-green color with only a few leaves left. The entire spot looks different because the lush colors of fall have dropped from the trees and onto the ground. Its almost like the entire place flipped upside down.
Birds-eye view of my Phenology Spot!
I drew a birds-eye view map of my location in order to get a better understanding of what lives in the area. The most interesting sections to me were areas full of diverse growth. These areas were closer to the creek and had younger trees, saplings, and vegetation. I was able to identify Golden Rod, Dogwood, Buckthorn, Hacker Berry, Yellow Birch, Norway Maple, and a bright red plant I identified as Winged Euonymus. After some research I learned that it is invasive in Vermont and is typically used as an ornamental plant. My next visit is guaranteed to show even more changes to this beautiful place!
