What’s going on out on the land?
Tracking along the Eramosa River, Jan 17, 2021
Today I went out to find Beaver sign which a friend had told me about yesterday evening. He had seen what looked like a trail emerging from the river, heading up the bank and into the scrubby wooded edge on the far side of the river from a trail by his house and was thinking it was a Beaver. I had previously seen Beaver signs further up the river when I was out trailing an Opossum a few weeks ago and it would be likely that the Beavers up there would come down to his neck of the woods. I thought I would go and check it out.
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit killsite on the way to work
The blood was still bright and vibrant when I took the photo. That's what first caught my eye while walking by, the living red against the white. Tufts of brindly hair strewn about the edge of the Staghorn Sumac grove, with lots of Rabbit pellets punctuating the bounding tracks through the snow.
I couldn't make it all out with the short time I had but I have a feeling the Coyotes were coming from the Southeast, making their way Northwest. More wild spaces Eastwise, and the city was behind me to the West. The Coyote tracks are often headed Westwise, flowing with the river.
Tracking Journal Jan 01, 2021
There were familiarities and mysteries while out tracking with Carolyn. She asked if I wanted to go check out a some Hemlocks she knew and I, as per usual, was down. She picked me up and on route she asked if we should go look at the Beavers she’d been visiting with her family. Again, I was down.
Tracking Journal, Dec 30, 2020
I went back to the spot along the river trail where I encountered the Opossum trail a few weeks ago hoping that I may find the sign of something or someone out in the newly fallen snow. I did find something…
Tracking Journal : December 25, 2020
I heard Coyotes howling as I walked up to the forest. Maybe two or three, but the way their songs work, it sounds more like 5 or 6. I only was able to record the last little bit as I didn’t have my phone out and really wasn’t expecting it.
When I got to the mouth of the forest I saw some Canine tracks coming in from the field to the East, onto the road, and then tuck quickly back into the woods. I noted them, and then continued in and onto the main trail, only stopping to introduce myself to the woods and announce my intentions.
Tracking journal December 13, 2020
I got out of the car and began making my way to the woods. There are some areas on the way where I am sure it would be preferred I not go, but this was the fastest, safest way so I was quick and discrete. As I climbed a bit of a gravel hill I got to the slope of the hill, where one side of the property is bounded by a Cedar tree line. As I came down I was looking lightly but most just making my way back towards the woods, when I came across a set canid of tracks.
Tracking journal for December 5, 2020. Along Eramosa River.
I took the normal trail I usually take, but when I came to the Northward split I decided I would take it, just to see if anything new stuck out for me along the way. And, of course something did.
I stepped on the first few tracks before I even saw them, but I luckily did look down with enough time that I didn’t crush the whole trail. The snow was just crusty enough from thawing a little bit the day before and then freezing overnight that these tracks were stable enough to guess that I may be able to follow this trail for a while.
Question Book 3 : The Return of Question Book
These are question that come from observations in the field, from discussion with students and colleagues, or just from late night wonderings. I write them out in a physical book so I will not lose them and try to make time later to answer them. On to the questions!
What do Groundhogs eat?
Another one from my question book, but to be honest, I think this has passed through many question books, and I don’t know why I keep forgetting. It’s about time I wrote out what I’ve learned and that way folks can remind me.