June 7-14, 2012

Relatively quick visit to the blowdown, wading through knee-high ferns to get to it. There were multiple exposures, but unlike a year ago at this time not a whole lot of diversity. In fact it was a squirrel and a chipmunk:

If I'm correct about chipmunk behavior, it's the same one in both pics and has taken over the spot as a territory. A far cry from last year when the fisher cat was visiting this log habitually. Mosquitoes and thick vegetation kept me from spending too long or straying too far from the path, but I did notice fresh raccoon tracks in the stream bed. The lady slippers growing next to the path near the school ball field have finished blooming and gone to seed. 

 more impressive three weeks ago

track just below the sharpie

On the tick front, after careful inspection I found 8 of them. The last 2 took a while to discover too, not pleasant. Expecting more quite frankly. YTD total now stands at 112.