I returned to my sit spot on October 6th at around 4:00 in the evening. It was a warm day with a nice breeze, and it proved to be a great day to observe animals and take in all the wonders of nature! Firstly, I noted all of the interesting developments in the plants surrounding me. The tree to the left of me, to the North, bloomed these beautiful little berries that looked just like Christmas holly. As it turns out, the tree was a bush honeysuckle. Apparently, it is actually an invasive species from Asia. It’s interesting how invasive plants can be so eye-catchingly gorgeous and yet cause so much harm to the ecosystems they inhabit. The bright, lovely berries remind me of the shiny, jewellike form of the Emerald Ash Borer, the beautiful beetle that has been ravaging Hollin’s precious ash trees.

My little corner of the planet was full of activity when I visited, and I was so thrilled to have seen so many wondrous things. I saw a funny squirrel practice her acrobatics on a decaying branch, and I watched her pummel to the ground when said branch broke and fell to the forest floor. I witnessed an argument between a group of blue jays, beginning as a screaming match but soon escalating to become a cacophonous warzone. Additionally, I recently discovered that my sit spot is located just across the stream from Trail Camera 2 from our Meso Mammal Lab, and I found that I could see the game trail from my location in the riparian area. As I was finishing up my journal, I noticed two very large, very fuzzy, and very black figures make their way through the undergrowth along the trail. I couldn’t quite make out what they were, but my worried mind jumped straight to bears! I’m impatiently awaiting for the trail camera photos to be revealed to me next week, but I have an inkling suspicion that my mind exaggerated the small silhoutte of a skunk or raccoon. Finally, while I was writing in my journal, a huge turkey buzzard decided to make observations about me; he landed right above my head! I was so scared at first because of his close proximity to me, but soon I mustered up the courage to capture a video. Later, he even returned to circle me from afar. I think we’ve become friends.

IMG_6277 (4) (video of the turkey buzzard)

 

I came across a peculiar little ant during my visit with nature. She seemed to be unsure of herself, her antennae constantly moving, taking in her surroundings. I watched as she zig-zagged through the fallen leaves, over and under as she searched for food. I wondered if she was lost, missing her colony. However, upon conducting research, I found that she is a Carpenter Ant. These ants are foragers, so they sometimes scout individually for sustenance near their nests, which are usually in decaying wood. She even crawled onto my picnic blanket, but, to her dismay, found nothing worthwhile.

Water plays perhaps the most key role in the abundance of life and biodiversity at my sit spot. The stream is definitely the lifesource of this small environment, and its steady bubbling and rippling soothes me. I imagine that, without this source, the tall trees and the immense shrubbery wouldn’t be able to grow and thrive so abundantly. The game trail’s location may even be influenced by its proximity to the water, as the animals can stop and take a drink whenever they like. As I stared out at the creek below, I noticed that the sun’s reflection cast a golden shimmer on the trees, symbolic of water’s valuable and irreplacable role here.

 

I hope to see many more animals, learn to identify more bird calls, and recognize different species of plants on my next adventure out into the wild. After this sit spot session, I am immensely glad to have witnessed so many natural wonders. All of the strange sightings and occurences made me conscious of the fact that the natural world is just as exciting as the “real world” , especially when you know how to focus and pay attention to it.