I recently visited my site for the first time in about two months. A lot has changed phenologically since then, and this post will focus on the signs of deep winter I encountered.

I spent some time trying to document wildlife activity, but it was difficult given the weather (recent rains melted some snow), as well as how often my spot is apparently frequented by people – there were many shoe prints in the area. The one true wildlife track I was able to discern was of what seemed to be dear tracks.

It is pretty difficult to see from the picture, but the tracks had a diagonal walker pattern. The following measurements also point to a deer trail.

Track length: ~3 inches

Stride: ~26 inches

Straddle: ~5 inches

The following were some of the deciduous trees I was able to identify at my site:

• Sugar Maple

• Yellow Birch

• Unidentified – possibly Shadbush

• Red Oak
• Red Maple

Labeled Sketch of a Sugar Maple Twig

I spent some more time walking around my site, noting how different it is in the winter. The site feels much more open and exposed, and quite barren. Here are some more pictures from the visit.

All photos are my own.