| A lack of significant snowfall early in the season eventually gave way to some snow cover and excellent tracking opportunities in mid-January.  Red Fox 1/15/16 Hubbardston  Eastern Coyote 1/17/2016 Rutland  Bobcat 1/21/16 Hubbardston  Meadow Vole, Red Fox, Red Squirrel 1/20/16 |  Red Fox, hind foot 1/21/16 Hubbardston  Bobcat 1/21/16 Hubbardston  Bobcat 1/15/16 Hubbardston Tracker David Brown made a presentation and led a walk around East Quabbin Land Trust's Deer Park Preserve in Hardwick on 31 January. January's earlier snow cover had melted, and the new snow that had been predicted for 23 January never materialized. The tracking group instead focused on searching for animal sign.  Eastern Coyote scat placed conspicuously on stone wall 1/31/2016 Hardwick Photo by C. Henshaw  Hickory nut shells showing evidence of being eaten by three different squirrel species--red, gray, and flying. 1/31/2016 Hardwick Photo by C. Henshaw |
  Caren on a hike at Oakham Wildlife Management Area in November 2014. | Thank you to the Oakham Cultural Council and Oakham's Fobes Memorial Library for making it possible to hold another tracking event on 6 February. On 5 February, a storm dropped about 8 inches of fresh snow on the Oakham Wildlife Management Area, site of the tracking hike. Ironically, this deterred many animals from venturing out, so tracking was not optimal. Co-leader Caren Caljouw , a botanist and state biodiversity team member, joined David in discussing forest and winter ecology and identifying plants in winter. It was a sunny and beautiful winter day for an outing!  |