March 21, 2004
MONO CLIFFS - 25th Sideroad entrance (North side)
Meeting Report & Photos by Alexis Burnett
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There were seven of us that turned out for this day of
winter tracking at the northern part of the Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.
The blustery north-west winds and the lightly falling snow helped in our
decision to quickly venture off of the beaten path and into the woods.
With the thick crust layer and dusting of new snow the travel was easy
through the forest.
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Not long after we
entered the shelter of the trees we came upon some canine tracks
that had been blown in with fresh snow. After blowing and
digging them out we noticed much detail to these tracks that was
otherwise non-visible when filled in with snow. We looked at the
tracks and tried to determine direction of travel as well as
what canine had left them. The group seemed to lean more towards
coyote, but it was quite hard to tell. |
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In this area there
were also signs of cottontails and grouse. There was a string of
fresh grouse tracks along with a single scat left by this common
ground bird. On the nearby staghorn sumac trees there were lots
of fresh chews on the branches and we wondered what was making
them? The chews were out near the tips of these braches and we
guessed that it would have to be a very small animal that made
these incisor marks. The small teeth marks were around 1/32" in
width. On a previous hike we had seen the same kind of sign on
some Scots pine trees in a different part of this park. |
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As we continued on
the coyote tracks, we came upon a large old white birch tree
that had apparently been hit by lightning. The top of the trunk
was gone and there were many side branches that were bending
down towards the ground. There was also a large charred crack
down the side in a "spiral" fashion. In the "crotch" of the tree
we also found a few scats, one was fresh and contained seeds and
vegetation of some kind and the other was full of hair and some
small bone fragments. There were also some claw marks a little
higher up the tree that showed five toes. |
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As we followed the
canine tracks a little further we found a place where a
cottontail had crossed the coyote trail. By "sweeping" away the
fresh snow it revealed tracks that were left in the crust layer
when it was soft. There was great detail in some of these tracks
and we stopped to talk about some of the movements that this
cottontail had made. After some discussion we concluded that
this animal had slowed to a stop just before the the canine
trail and paused before continuing on in a quicker gait and in
another direction from the canine. We wondered if this was the
result of becoming aware of the nearby wild canine? |
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We followed the
canine tracks for a while before we descended into the valley
bottom and headed up the other side. As we started up the steep
hillside, we found a sugar maple tree that showed signs of a
feeding porcupine. The incisor marks were much larger than the
ones we had found on the sumac trees. There were also many other
differences in the chews made by these two different animals.
Beside this tree there was also a large old cedar stump that was
hollowed out. Daniel jumped in to demonstrate that this could be
used as a survival shelter in dire need. Quite a cozy spot! |
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A few of the
members of our group were quite interested in the fossils that
can be found on these limestone cliffs. We spent a little time
discussing the movement of glaciers through this region as well
as guessing to the kinds of species that were now forever
ingrained in these ancient rocks. It would be great to have a
knowledgeable person lead a hike through this area discussing
the fossils, etc... that can be found in these limestone cliffs.
Perhaps in the future?
At the top of the escarpment we followed a
deer trail for a little ways before stopping for lunch in a
beautiful protected area with a great view. |
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Along the deer
trail we found a lot of scat of varying sizes and noticed some
browse on the hemlock and cedar trees. There were also some
great raccoon tracks and we spent a little time mimicking these
animals gait patterns and the speed and consistency of their
movements. It was really cool to imitate these animal forms.
Along the top of the escarpment there were also
many cave entrances and we stopped to warm our hands on the warm
air that was being pushed out of the caverns. Some of us even
jumped right in to feel the full effect. |
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There were many red
oak in this area as well as a mystery tree that perplexed us
all. We had some good guesses as to the identification of this
mystery tree. Hopefully some of us will track its identity with
some future research. I have my guesses. |
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There were some
rabbit/hare chews on the bark of a beech tree and we talked a
little about some of the differences between rabbit, hare,
rodent, porcupine and ungulate browse signs. These chews were
quite high on the beech tree and we guessed that they were done
when there was quite a bit more snow on the ground than there
was on this occasion. Some members of our group found a really
cool gully/ravine and we explored its depths. There were sign of
raccoon, porcupine and grouse using this area. |
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At the bottom we
also discovered a few pellets that were left on one of the
ledges in the rock wall. We guessed them to be from an owl, but
did not know the species. They contained some small rodent fur
and bones along with some longer unknown hairs and leg bones of
an unidentified animal. These bones seemed a little large for
your average small rodent (ie. voles and mice), but we could not
tell what kind of animal they came from. Can you? |
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As we descended back into the valley bottom we came across
the very distinct smell of a porcupine and some of our group were
curious as to what these animals smell like. On the edge of a clearing
we found some exposed grass and picked up on the impression of a deer
bed. What a great spot. The sun had melted all the snow here and there
was great southern exposure as well as cover and a good view. It was an
"inviting" area to sit and lie down in. By this time the temperature was
rising and we were completely out of the wind. It was beginning to feel
like spring in this spot! We headed back across the valley and explored
around some of the large cliffs and sat at the top of some of them
taking in the beautiful view! What a great day.
On the way back we again had the chance to smell the
scent of the porcupine and upon scanning our surroundings, found a large
sugar maple tree that had been browsed heavily by this animal. Many
exposed areas were visible where the bark had been stripped form the
tree. We figured that he was close by?
I'd like to thank everyone that came out to make this
a great day. Thanks to Rob, Craig, John, Daniel, James and Mike. I hope
I get to see you all again soon. Until then.......Happy Tracking! |
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