What were also very evident in the snow yesterday, were the tracks of deer. Quite a few deer make their home in the town year round, with the marsh being one of their favoured spots. I followed the tracks of at least two deer moving toward town along the trail spur that comes out by CARP headquarters (in the old train station). They had paused along the route to nibble at the tips of the multiflower rose and red osier dogwood bushes. The top photo shows a small dogwood sapling with all its tips bitten off. The bottom shot shows where a number of deer had climbed down to drink from the water in a ditch by the trail. Their tracks continued to the old train station and then up towards the main street.
Although there's not that much wildlife to see around the marsh in the winter months, there is evidence of their presence once the snow comes. Yesterday I spotted the tracks of several different critters, including those of a small rodent (top) and those of a pheasant heading off into a stand of phragmites (bottom). The pheasant tracks were quite plentiful, and its not unusual to hear their calls at various places around the marsh.
Although the snow has melted once more, while we had it, people continued to walk the trail around the now frozen marsh. The trail was covered with tracks when I went for my walk yesterday morning. That's the old train station off in the distance at the left.
The geese were still on the marsh when I arrived this morning, but it wasn't long before they began to sound their departure calls. When they rose into the air, I got this shot. They headed northeast, perhaps to the Belle Isle Marsh.
This morning I spotted a small furry body sitting on a grassy clump at the marsh's edge. I wasn't quick enough to get a shot of the muskrat's head before it slipped into the water, but I was happy just to have caught a quick glimpse of one.
