February – Survival

The weather was relatively nice and it was sunny so snow was beginning to melt and there was definitely more stream movement than in January. The forested section is near my spot is mostly coniferous. The deciduous trees I could see and identify were White and Red Oak, and American Beech.

The bridge to the brook is starting to become more identifiable and the path to the brook was clearer.There is also even less plant life than I had last seen. The contrast between the forest edge and my site’s clearing is starker than ever.

The phenological changes I’ve seen have been drastic from the harsh winter. The trees were more visible with a significant amount of less snow on them. I could start to see little specks of moss on the trees that lay over the brook. The living Eastern Hemlocks and White Pines still have their needles while the rest of the deciduous are bare with only a few brown leaves hanging. There are only a few needles on the forest floor and some branches that are peeking their way through the snow. There are still a few fungi growing on the rotting logs. The whole surrounding area and through my walk to the brook, I noticed the forest starting to feel a little more vibrant and it felt like more life was returning.

Howard-Fenton, N. (February 2020). Scat

This was scat that I found but could not identify because it was dried up and sinking into the snow.

Howard-Fenton, N. (February 2020). Up close of the brook.

Howard-Fenton, N. (February 2020). The surrounding trees.

Howard-Fenton, N. (February 2020) Dog tracks.

These were the only visible tracks I could find becuase of the messy and thick snow but I assumed there were domestic dog tracks based on the toe shape and it looks like a paw print.