February 3, 2002
HOCKLEY VALLEY PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVE -
Hockley Road at 2nd Line
Meeting report by Alexis Burnett
Photos by Walter Muma
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Our hike started out up the Bruce Trail heading
north into the Hockley Valley Nature Reserve. We were a group of 10
people out to explore this beautiful area.
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There was one and a half inches of
light snow on a thin ice layer which provided a good tracking
medium. We found some beautiful fox tracks shortly after we ventured
up the trail and stopped to investigate. Upon close examination, we
discovered the 'chevron' shaped bar and the presence of hair on the
bottom of the paw. A very straight trail led around the bottom of
the hillside into the open field, where we lost the trail because of
the newly fallen snow. |
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| From here we all decided to
stay off the trail for a while and see what we came across. We noticed a
couple antler rubs, one older one and one that looked a lot fresher (most
likely from this fall). |
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Just ahead we came upon
some more cottontail and squirrel tracks as well as a mystery
tree that we could not positively identify.
A few of us thought that it could possibly be a hickory
of some kind, but were not sure. We took note of the location and
will hopefully be back in the spring!
This area had a lot of sugar maple and beech
trees, as well as some scattered eastern hemlock and yellow and
white birch. The landscape is quite hilly, full of gullies and
drainages.
Light snow fell periodically throughout the day
along with short breaks of blue sky and sunshine. A beautiful winter
day!
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| We soon found some raccoon
tracks and trails and decided to follow them to see where they came from
or until we found some other trail to follow. As we followed the
meandering trail of the raccoons we also noticed a galloping trail pattern
of what could have been a fox or coyote. It seemed too small to be a deer
and about the right size for a canid. Hmmm? We followed the raccoon down a
steep hillside as the trail 'curiously' moved through the landscape. A few
people said they smelled a 'skunk-like' odor as we descended. Not far
ahead we came upon two sets of canine tracks. They could have been made
from the same animal at different times. Possibly fox or coyote was our
best guess. |
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In this area there were
two large beech trees that had grown together. Joining to form a
huge single canopy! We had a short lunch
near this spot. One member of the
group noticed some leatherwood growing in this area as well. |
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Shortly after lunch we came upon what we at first
guessed to be either a raccoon or porcupine den site.
There were tracks of both animals around as well as
some hairs found too. Lots of dirty tracks that were lightly covered
with fresh snow. Many trails came and went from this central
location.
Upon close examination it was Walter and Julie who
found the porcupine tracks as well as some scat and small claw marks
on one of the trees.
There seemed to be a spot where what we thought was
a porcupine jumped down from the tree into the snow. The tracks seemed
to mysteriously end shortly after. Could something have killed it?? If
so where were the tracks? An aerial predator? Did we miss
something?
Another unsolved mystery!
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Part of the group split apart not long after this location
to head home while a few of us stayed behind to slowly wander back. We
came upon a beautiful set of fox/coyote tracks. This one line of tracks
contained many different gait patterns this animal used from a slow walk
to a gallop up the embankment. They were also quite fresh, there was some
good detail in the tracks themselves. There seemed to be two trails that merged
together, perhaps two animals or one retracing its steps? There were also
some small rodent tunnel/trails in the snow along with squirrel tracks
too. |
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There was a beautiful red
fungus of some kind growing out of a dead white pine that looked
really sweet with all the snow everywhere. |
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As we neared the trail we picked up our pace a bit
and were on our way back to the vehicles. As a couple more separated
there were just Walter, Julie and myself left as we took in the view
of the valley with the falling snow and blowing wind. Near
the road we found some very fresh Mustelid (weasel and relatives)
tracks in the snow with the characteristic 2-2 bounding pattern of
this family. We followed them to where they jumped over a branch and
slide in the snow. Under a Scots pine we found a small blood stain in
the snow and wondered what had happened here? There
were also fresh cottontail tracks (seen in the photo here) and an old
rabbit scat.
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It looked as though something had sat in the snow here as
the body heat had melted the snow and packed it down slightly. This is
where the blood was as well! The mustelid tracks came and went from this
area, along with the cottontail. The mustelid then crossed the hiking
trail and went down into the bottom of the hillside where it followed
another fresh looking cottontail trail. They both went over a fence into
an area with lots of debris and plenty of hiding places.
Was it following the scent of the cottontail? Or just
the trail? Neither of them seemed to be running fast, but both sets of
tracks looked quite fresh.
Our best guess for the blood was that the mustelid had
caught a small rodent in the field and brought it to the safety and cover
of the Scots pine to eat it and them go on its way. We did not find any
hair/fur or anything else besides blood at this location, so it left us
wondering?
It's funny when you leave a scene like this and go home
and think about it later, how much 'closer' you wished you had looked at
things! There is always information that is there that seems to go by
unnoticed.
We all had a great time on this day and wish to thank
everyone for coming out. See you next time. |
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