Gabrielle’s Sit Spot 3!

On a cool, Sunday evening, my sit spot was teeming with new changes for the winter. Before I had even reached my spot, I could spot the infamous campus herd of white-tail deer, moving throughout the area. This gave me hope that I could see more than I expected, and that hope was fulfilled greatly.

At 5:40pm, I sat down at my sit-spot after watching the deer move along, almost immediately greeted by ants. These ants were a bright red, with two large antennae protruding from their heads. They were really interested in me, one attempting to crawl into the AUX cord entrance for my phone, and multiple chilling on my bag. Initially, these ants scared me, but none of them posed a real threat, as much as my anxiety wanted me to believe they did. With these newcomers, I quickly noticed my flowerfriend had died, replaced with dead versions of itself on a bright red stem. However, the friend was replaced by a new sight, fuzzy, layered, leaves!

It took all of my self-control to not touch my fuzzy friend, however, this species seemed to flourish at this distinct spot, leading me to believe that it prefers decomposing areas for the nutrients. While taking this picture, I was hit with a sudden breeze, giving me the distinct smell of “cold, dry, weather” that is commonly associated with fall. The plants around me also were bathed in gold light, as the sun reflecting off the changing leaves was amplifying the gold and red colors of the leaves. Or, what leaves were left. Many of the trees at my spot have dropped most of their leaves, allowing me to see farther into the forested area. Across the stream is a gate with barbed wire, probably the cattle farm. These cattle could affect my spot in some ways, such as plant life on the other side, but as they cannot cross, it will not be a big concern.

While at the spot, my two dog friends were out exploring with their owner, confirming they are not, in fact, a ghost. While watching them leave, I did see a flash of red fly into some branches, which I assumed was a Cardinal, a common bird in this area. However, I could not find it to take a picture of him. There were many crickets as well, constant chirping was a big distraction. Did you know that crickets chirp to communicate and find mates? While listening to crickets, you could also hear a single woodpecker attempt to break into a tree, but ultimately left as I only heard it once.

This time at the sit spot really showed the changes that seasons bring to forested areas. The falling of leaves and decay of flowering plants all show how these species are affected by the cold and nutrient-loss of said cold. Along with the new visibility, my perception of the area changes as I visit. Since it is getting colder, I expect to see fewer and fewer plants as we go, and hopefully, animals are seen more, as they have fewer places to hide!