January 7

Saturday was a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi. The early morning sky was mostly clear with a light breeze out of the west and a temperature of 34 degrees compared to a frigid 8 degrees a year ago. Before descending the hill, I paused and scanned the western landscape to notice the absence of the white stuff as our snow drought continued. I paused at Mallard Marsh and then walked through Bobolink Meadow. I entered North Woods and followed the trail west where I saw a variety of deer tracks in the mud. Some were big, some small, some with splayed toes, some not. Tracks of a big, heavy buck often have splayed toes and sink so far into the mud that the dewclaws are visible. Because females and fawns weigh much less than a mature buck, their tracks show splayed toes and dewclaws only if they were running. Next, I paused on the boardwalk and noticed the vernal pond was full. I followed the trail and suddenly heard the raucous sound of a dozen crows come from high overhead. I exited the woods, hiked around Succession Field and entered South Woods. Following the trail past Swanson Swamp, I spotted three deer darting through the understory.White-tailed deer are herbivores. Their stomachs allow them to digest a varied diet, including leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Occasionally venturing out in the daylight hours, they are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, browsing mainly at dawn and dusk. Adult whitetails have reddish-brown coats in summer that fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. They are very good runners and can reach speeds of 30 mph. Buck antlers, which are made from bone are starting to shed in this month. It may be surprising that they’re rarely found in the woods. Since antlers are rich in calcium and other nutrients, animals such as rabbits and rodents usually eat them soon after they’re shed. Exiting the woods, I continued toward Artist Overlook where I saw a lingering patch of snow surrounding the picnic tables. I got to Artist Overlook and paused to look down at Sora Swale. I followed the South trail to Frog Fen and turned south to Brady Cemetery. I passed the cemetery and entered Native Grassland. I hiked along the east side of Grebe Pond toward the red barn. Next, I walked over to the edge of the pond to check the ice for an upcoming winter field trip. Unfortunately, it was not safe to walk on. Then I came to the Classroom Building where I could see the new wind turbine and solar panel. West of the building, I checked out the bird feeders and saw a few Goldfinch,SnowBuntings and one Blue Jay. Finally, I ducked in the van and headed for home.

The snow silvery white glistens under my feet

 Crunch,crunch sings the glimery substance

 Swish, Swish, sigh my shoes

 Light dances across the sparkly distance;

 Whirl, whirl the wind picks up the fluffy snow

 Shivers pass across my spine to the top of my neck

 The smell of crisp winter fills my nose

 Burrr, I tuck my chin under my scarf then treck.

 What a wonderful wintery scene abroad

 Many have prayed for this very day

 Please send us the white snow we love

 Oh how wonderful that it would stay!

Rebecca M