Winter has arrived and its effects are present in my first visit back to my phenology spot this new year. A layer of snow coats the ground and ice covers the path that brings me to my spot. The air has warmed up after a week of frigid temperatures, so I was able to enjoy observing new changes in my spot. I noticed the small pool of water that sat in front of my spot had grown since my last visit 7 weeks ago. Additionally, the ground cover has accumulated more sticks and a layer of wet snow.
Signs of wildlife were also very present in my phenology spot and were showcased in the tracks they left in the snow! Initially I was only able to find dog tracks and was beginning to feel discouraged about finding wildlife, but with further observation I was able to find lots of tracks around the area.
These wildlife tracks were the most common type I found throughout my area. I identified them to be made from squirrels. It follows the right shape and the paw prints fit the description.
I noticed many squirrels on my walk to my spot so they common presence of their tracks made sense.
I also saw these wildlife tracks near my phenology spot and guessed them to be tracks of a racoon. The paw marks and spacing share similar characteristics to standard racoon tracks.