January 8, 2006
MONO CLIFFS - 25th Sideroad entrance (North side)
Meeting Report & Photos by Alexis Burnett
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We set out from the North side of Mono Cliffs Park heading
south through the open meadow and into the hardwoods along the top of
the escarpment. The wind was still and it was a mild, overcast winter
day. There was an inch or so of new snow, over the rain-crust that
formed last week, which made for a great tracking medium.
As we moved through the field we came across some tunnels
and small tracks in the snow. A small rodent had come up from under the
snow pack and was moving above the snow. There were bounding as well as
diagonal walking gait patterns and we took a few measurements as we
studied the movements of this small mammal. We speculated that these
tracks were made by either a Meadow Vole or a Deer Mouse. The group was
split between these two animals. Further research at home should make
distinguishing between the two a little easier. The field had many
Milkweed plants and we knew that both of these small rodents had been
feeding on the seeds of this food source. Perhaps using the 'downy'
parts of this plant in their winter nests beneath the snow as well.
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When we reached the
edge of the forest we came across a beautiful coyote trail, made
fresh the night before. Moving effortlessly through the field
and into the hardwoods. Again we measured and observed these
tracks as they moved through the landscape. We stayed on this
trail for a while as it descended the escarpment on a diagonal
to the north. |
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There were many
magnificent trees through this part of the forest including;
Sugar Maple, Ironwood, White Birch, White Ash, Butternut and
cedars among others. |
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There were signs of
porcupines feeding on Maple bark (inner bark) and soon there
were many trails moving along the top of the cliffs including
Red and Gray Squirrels, Porcupine and an old Fox trail. |
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There were
Chickadees in the trees, and a couple white-Breasted Nuthatches
as well. In the Distance a Blue Jay was calling and a couple
Ravens talked back and forth beyond that. |
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I decided at that
point to trail the porcupine who was following the cliffs edge
and scent-marking as he went. |
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As this animal
moved along the cliff-tops I could see where a grouse had bedded
down on the edge and left a big pile of scat under where it was
sitting. Not too much further up its trail was the cecal form of
this birds scat. Just slightly frozen. There are cedars that
grow on the top of the escarpment here and many animals were
taking advantage of all that this bountiful tree has to offer.
Pileated woodpeckers had carved their trademark holes in these
ancient trees providing habitat for other birds and mammals. The
porcupine led me down some steep sections and had left a very
detailed trail in its passing. Eventually it went into a small
cave in the rocks that smelled strongly of this species and I
wondered how many other animals were using this protected cover?
Walking through this area you could tell by the exposed leaves
and warm air coming from these cracks in the earth that they
would serve as great places to seek shelter during stormy
weather. As the mid-day passed by the sun came out very briefly
and a light wind picked up from the east, south-east. |
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In the valley
bottom we came upon a set of Red Fox tracks and began to follow
them. They were fresh from last night sometime. This animal was
scent-marking and this smell, along with the characteristics of
its tracks told us that it was a fox. This animal moved from the
opening back into the forest and moved toward the cliff bottom
where unsuspecting cottontails were feeding and resting. The fox
seemed to walk right in to this area and killed a cottontail
that was under the snow in a small opening. 2-3 other
cottontails bounded away from this intruder and escaped with
their lives. It then brought the cottontail to the top of a
small boulder and ate most of it with a good view of the
surrounding landscape. All that was left when we got there was
the left front foot, part of the hide and a little fur. Did the
fox carry the rest of the rabbit off or did it eat it all we
wondered? |
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We continued to
trail the fox as it ascended the escarpment in quite an
incredible fashion. Bounding up vertical surfaces, scrambling
through some very steep terrain and walking across and up a few
small logs. This animal made it up the slope with a little more
ease and finesse than we did, to say the least! At the top of
the ridge this Male Red Fox scent-marked in a number of
locations as it moved parallel to the cliff top, before veering
off to the west. At this point this fox seemed to move through
the forest in a direct route only stopping briefly to mark its
passing. There was also another fox that came into the picture
at this point and it had a smaller stride and also had slightly
smaller feet. was this a female we wondered? This fox followed
the other for a while, but veered off on a few cottontail trails
only to come back and meet up with this one again. Mating season
is approaching, could these two possibly be a pair now or soon
we asked each other? We cannot say for sure, but it seemed like
a likely possibility. |
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We were very thankful to these foxes for teaching us many
lessons about themselves today. And to all the animals that left tracks
for us this day we also send our thanksgiving. To wander these forests
and meadows today helped us to see the connection that all life in the
natural world lives within. By understanding and being a part of this
connection we hope to learn to live closer to the Earth. We are thankful
for all that we learned today and for all that were there to experience
it.
Happy Tracking
Alexis Burnett
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