The view walking up to my sit-spot from the North West was gorgeous. I chose this specific sit-spot because it was away from Hollins foot traffic for the most part, and this seemed to be a small alcove in the long grasses to the East. There was a small patch of dirt that seemed to be unbelievably dry and cracked. There were plants surrounding the immediate area that seemed to either be dead or on their last legs, so I figured I wouldn’t mess with the local ecosystem too much by setting myself down there for an hour or so.
I was able to observe many fauna while sitting in my spot, as well as looking at flora in the interim. I saw two birds, one a shimmering green hummingbird that came to pick at it’s feathers on this gnarled looking tree for a bit, and one bright cerulean blue bird with a white chest. I heard a few planes fly over while there, and also some distant dog barks from the North. A bright
orange moth hovered around me and my belongings for quite a while, keeping me plenty company.
I did, at one point, hear the snapping of branches in the wooded area to the Southwest. They came frequently, but with no discernible rhythm, and were accompanied by the occasional noise of tree trunks being hit with something heavy. I figured it was perhaps a deer, and sat even more still, but did not catch a glimpse of whatever the creature was. Soon after that, I heard a sound like coughing, or hacking, to the Southwest. I did see a squirrel balancing in the branches, and realized that it was yelling while looking directly at me. It continued to do this until I left, accompanying it’s hacking noises with a sound like a squeaky toy being mishandled.
I really enjoyed this first focused time in my sitspot, and I certainly didn’t run out of interesting things to see or talk about in my journal or blog! I like where I chose to sit, since it doesn’t seem to get a lot of foot traffic, and I can’t wait to see how things progress over the semester!
The three items I’m following are the purple blooms, the ground where I sit, and the squirrel in the tree to the Southwest. I chose the purple blooms because it looks as if they’re about to start properly flowering, and I’d like to see how they progress. I chose the ground around my sitspot area because I want to see if, with weather changes, it will change as well. Finally, I chose the squirrel who I saw and heard in the tree to the Southwest because I am curious to see if it does the same thing the next times as it did my first time out there.
Austen, your picture of the orange moth is awesome! It’s really impressive that you were able to stay still long enough to snap a few photos of it. Where is your sit spot exactly? I’m having a hard time identifying where it is on campus, but I can’t wait to see follow up photos of the purple flowers!
I love the pictures you took! Your sit spot looks like its really secluded and I am curious as to where it is. Did you see any other creatures when you were out there?