A UVM blog The Phenology of Redstone Quarry

This weekend I, along with a few friends, went to enjoy some rare warm weather and enjoy the sunset at Rock Point’s Thrust Fault. As we moved toward the cliffs from North Beach, I spotted a Red-winged blackbird perched on the edge of a small marsh. I am particularly fond of these birds because of their distinct call. Further up the trail a friend and I caught the somewhat distant calls of an osprey, a sound I knew all too well l from childhood memories at my grandmother’s river. The final species we spotted were a few Mallards. at first, we watched a pair of females calmly swimming past us. A bit later another single female swam past. These three eventually intercepted one another and began to fly at one another quite aggressively. I hadn’t seen this kind of behavior from female mallards before and found it quite interesting.

It had been a while since I last visited Centennial Woods, and it had certainly changed since then. The entirety of the woods was blanketed in snow allowing us to observe evidence of the many species that call this place their home. The first set of prints we came across we were never sure what they were but based on the bounding motion and five-toed footprints we were lead to believe they were a fisher or otter. I’m hesitant to say otter on account of how far we were from any water at that time. As we made our way farther down the train we were met with a completely frozen creek. Along the creek’s surface and bank, we found a variety of tracks ranging from rabbits to foxes.

Coming back to the quarry was an exciting event this weekend. After weeks away I could not help but wonder just how different the landscape might be. Upon arrival, it was immediately clear just how changed this place was during the winter months. There was almost no greenery to be seen anywhere and the whole area was blanketed in a thick layer of ice and snow. Even more exciting than this dramatic change was the abundance of evidence of life in the quarry. Ironically the first piece of evidence we found of this life was a half-devoured bird carcass (coloring leads me to believe a Tufted Titmouse to be the victim though hard to ID because of the state of the remains). Leading away from the remains were a set of tracks of what I believe to be a skunk by their size and the longer back paw to front paw ratio. Based on my knowledge of skunks (however limited it may be) I’m inclined to believe if this skunk did consume the bird they were not the killer but rather scavenging another species’ leftovers. In addition to these tracks making a consistent reappearance throughout the quarry were the tracks of other rodents such as squirrels and field mice. Evidence of humans and their canine companions were also abundant along the trails. The most surprising discovery was the complete freezing over of the pond. Coming from the south Id never seen a body of water so completely frozen, in fact, it was hard to tell where the ground ended and the ice began because of the ice.

Observed Species

• Mourning Doves
• Cardinals
• Tufted Titmouse
• Black-capped Chickidee

Winter has finally come to Redstone Quarry. Any Dedacious trees that were still holding leaves have let them go, and only the conifers show green. Even the willows which seemed to hold out the longest have shed their leaves. The ponds have frozen over for the most part with much of the duckweed that covered its surface either trapped below or within the ice. The cattails have for the most part died back for the season, even the straggling seed clumps have begun to shed seeds to the high winds we’ve been having. With little food but a few dying berries remaining it seems like many of the animals have also moved on from the quarry. A few squirrel and bird nests were now visible thanks to a diminished canopy but other than that the only signs of life to be seen were the distant chirping of a chickadee and a lone male cardinal that bid me farewell as I left the quarry for the season.

This week I was back home in Virginia. While I was there I took the chance to visit an old favorite spot of mine. Pony Pasture is a long stretch of trails along the James River. Growing up I spent many afternoons walking here with my family, or swimming in the rapids with my friends. Unlike Redstone Quarry, Pony pasture is a far more open ecosystem. While there is a suburban neighborhood behind the park the river itself has remained fairly undeveloped along its banks. The park is also much more prone to flooding than the quarry during the wetter seasons. There are many cut-throughs in the park where excess water from the river flows after heavy rains. The tree concentration is also very different with Pony Pasture containing mostly hardwoods like oak and pawpaws. Currently, compared to the Quarry, which contains many pines, Pony Pasture contains far less color with the vast majority of its canopy gone. There is also a larger presence of birds here with herons, waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds. I am led to believe there are a few reasons for this. The climate in Virginia is much more temperate than Vermont and as a result, food sources do not diminish to the point of making migration necessary for many species. In addition, the relatively shallow and large size of the James makes it a prime fishing location for herons, eagles, and osprey.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to add my own pictures another day when my wifi decides to cooperate.

This weekend I explored a large section of Centennial Woods I had yet to visit. My journey brought me past the beaver ponds and eventually to the far side of the woods near Winooski before looping back to the campus side trailhead. One thing I noticed was the presence of more ice here than I had seen previously. Half of the beaver pond was almost completely frozen over and I found a large patch of frost in a milkweed meadow. I also found an abundance of wildlife through clues, vocalizations, and actual sightings.

This weekend’s visit to Redstone Quarry noted a few changes in the landscape. The main change was the further progression of Fall. The Cat-tails have started to die back even quicker leaving pale dead stalkes. The leaves have fallen off to a much greater extent since I was last there and many of the trees still clinging to green have since turned to shades of yellows, reds, and oranges.

Redstone Quarry is a fascinating and tucked away location within Burlington. Located in the middle of a quiet suburban neighborhood Redstone quarry is home to a fascinatingly diverse Natural community. Along the banks of the pond, Cattails grow in large clusters while the water itself is covered in what I believe to be mostly duckweed. The wooded area near the pond is sparsely populated by short shrubbery and saplings while most and grass cover any area not already covered by the decaying tree foliage. The main woody plants found within the quarry include paper birch, honeysuckle, buckthorn, red oak, maples, and white ash.