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
