Winter tracking walk February 5, 2023

What a difference a day makes! Our annual tracking walk with Paul Wanta was originally planned for a day when a polar vortex would hold temperatures to a high of 13º. To avoid frostbite, we rescheduled to the next day, and afternoon temps hit 47º! Snow in Acton has been scarce this year, so the woods were bare, making for a different kind of tracking walk than we’ve had in the past. While we weren’t able to see animal tracks, we did see signs of the many animals who make their home in Nashoba Brook Conservation Area. Keep in mind that everything we saw was within 0.25-0.50 miles of the parking area!

Highlights:

Paul Wanta points out saplings cut by beaver
One of many stories!
Evidence of beaver activity along the channel
Chipmunk midden on rock
Raccoon scat w seeds in it
Beaver eat the inner cambium of twigs
Painted turtle shell – whole with dried animal remains inside
Owl pellet with mouse bones, skull and fur
Pileated woodpecker hole (rectangular) with ant carcasses and shavings
Flying squirrel, gnawed on hickory nut

Check out the gallery below for more pictures from the walk

Orientation
Beaver-chewed saplings
Along the trail
Turkey-tail Trametes versicolor
Nashoba Brook in background
Hophornbeam tree felled by beaver
Beaver signs
Check for markings of beaver’s teeth
Pileated woodpecker holes
Pileated woodpecker confirmed by scat with ant carcasses found at base of tree
Birch polypore – note gravitropic growth

Miscellaneous items of interest:
Paul mentioned that he regularly holds 5 hour tracking walks in Central MA. To contact Paul, click here.
Dave talked about a mapping app: MAPS.ME
GIS data shows all kinds of interesting information: Massachusetts Interactive Property Map