August 28, 2010 6:39 am
I have a great deal of respect for people who not only know what animal left the scat, but when, what the animal ate and often a good deal more about the animal’s sex, health and details that most people would not notice.
Some species of decomposer mushrooms also grow from scat.
Here is what I found on my most recent hike:
Now that we’ve had a bit of rain, I’m hoping seasonal mushrooms will fruit.
As the sun rose, the waning moon was still visible. There’s something special about standing between the sun and the moon at the start of a new day.
White oak acorns are dropping early. At first I thought they might be the undesirable ones. But when I set them out in my yard, the squirrels ate a few right away and carried off the rest. I think the chipmunk got in on the feast, too.
I’m looking forward to feedback from people who know what they’re looking at to help me really see what I am looking at.
February 9, 2010 7:29 am
So far this winter, abundant snow has fallen well south of me, but the inch or two that has fallen here is perfect for tracking animals that are not easy to see, like the bobcat.
My notebook is 5.5 inches long, so I have an idea of this feline’s stride.
In preparation for my workshop, I took the opportunity to hike the same trail three days in a row. The first day there were only two or three sets of tracks, including mine. By day three, more individuals traveled this particular trail.
The patina of snow does not always cover the ice, which has its own beauty
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January 28, 2010 8:49 am
Heavy rain washed away the snow, exposing some interesting features of the rock surface of area mountains. This morning’s snow is laying down a fresh palette for wildlife tracks.
As for the rocks, when I saw this, I wondered if it had been split by temperature extremes:
But what really happened is that the tooth-like calcium deposit was not solid like this rock:
Moisture filled in between the gaps of the calicium “teeth” of the first rock.
I’ve spent a great deal of time hiking two mountains located less than 10 miles from each other which are composed of different geological materials. One is conglomerate rock with distinct vegetation and evidence of glacial movement.
The bedrock on the other mountain is precambrian gneiss outcroppings with mica and feldspar inclusions along with embedded microcrystalline quartz.
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January 15, 2010 9:30 am
I’m preparing tracking programs – age of participants and size of group varies. Despite the bitter cold, the snow has not been deep, making it a spectacular winter for tracking. Now my photos look like what I study in Tracking and the Art of Seeing.
I understand my subject matter. Making it memorable, in the way that Gary Lincoff or Tom Volk does – that’s my present is to show, not tell while speaking.
Since tracking actually involves all the senses, what can I do that’s engaging and memorable before we hit the trail? One option is coffee cup tracking, although I plan to use yogurt cups.
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January 5, 2010 8:45 am
It’s rare to get snow conditions that reveal as much track detail as I’ve seen this year. It’s even more surprising to be able to watch the animals move in their tracks and then have those tracks to study.
This group of wild turkeys were in a relatively open area.
What caused one turkey to spread its wings?
Here are a few more images: (more…)
December 25, 2009 12:28 pm
I did finally recover enough muscle memory to cross country ski without falling, so I took my camera out to photograph tracks.
The bitter cold temperatures have kept the snow a powdery texture, protected from wind in the woods, subject to amazing drift in the open areas.
The patina of snow made the details of this fox track very clear.
And the activity in this sector has me guessing a bird of prey may have caught a rodent.
Compare the following two photos and see what’s different in the few minutes between when the first and second photos were taken:
Here are a few more photos from my solstice week trek: (more…)
December 23, 2009 7:53 am
There are few things that would lure me out of the woods when conditions are perfect for both cross-country skiing and tracking. Cookies made from acorn flour and dipped in chocolate and black walnuts – I never had a chance.
Baking does not come naturally to me, so I appreciate the mastery of fellow forager Jim Capossela. I don’t know him well enough to even hint that I’d like the recipe.
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December 8, 2009 6:15 am
Why do I continue practicing wilderness skills, when lightweight camping gear makes life outdoors much easier?
In a word, RESPECT. If I understand how everything works, then if my gear fails, I have the choice to create what I need. If you understand fire by friction, you don’t take that butane lighter for granted.
That attitude, leads to action, which builds my confidence, which makes spending time outdoors fun.
For the past two months, I’ve been meeting with fellow wilderness skills enthusiasts Peter Cutul, Joanna Dickey and Paul Tappenden for an extended skills-building session. (more…)
February 20, 2009 11:15 am
What a difference a few hours makes. Yesterday afternoon was sunny and warm, but as the sun set, the wind kicked up an icy tantrum.
The applications for this year’s CSA are in. I was looking forward to watching sun rise over the garden. Apparently nature has other ideas.
Mushroom U classes have begun. Why is lactarius a separate genus from russula? I have no idea. All I know so far is that lactarius, when bruised, exudes latex, while russula does not.
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January 31, 2009 4:55 pm
A dusting of snow provided the perfect opportunity to see the animals who hiked the trail moments before I arrived.
I was close enough to catch the scent of a red fox who was likely watching me.
The raccoon was also out, either just before or just after the fox.
I love the way light and shadow work to make the tracks look like plaster cast relief tracks instead of impressions of tracks when photographed.
I took a series of three photographs to capture the tracks of fox gliding in snow. In my mind the fox was playing, sliding down the icy hill.
It was a day for taking photos in series. The hawk’s wings in sunlight fill me with a sense of joy and wonder.
