For this semester, I am changing my blog organization a bit so that all of the content will be within the posts instead of having to navigate to separate pages. I set out today down the icy, well beaten trails of Centennial Woods until I reached my site. The first thing I noticed was that although the water level of the stream appeared relatively the same as previous visits, the ground surrounding the boulder at the center of my site was far muddier and carved out in some places. I infer that the water level rose at some point in the past few months and shifted the stream morphology. The trees were barren, no dead leaves lingering unlike past visits, although I was surprised that there was still some green vegetation like wilted but alive ferns surrounding the stream, likely due to having a consistent nearby water source. I did notice some animal tracks that could have been dog tracks, but there was one clearer one that appeared more raccoon shaped even. I listened to try to hear any birdcalls, but did not observe any evidence of recent bird activity. As the winter continues, it appears that the site will stay mostly consistent and dormant before any significant changes to the weather arrive.
The remaining vegetation at my site.
Evidence of animal behavior.
Where the ground is ridged and muddy surrounding the boulder.