How to Enjoy the
	Stoney Brook
	Sanctuary
	Return to the Return to the Stoney Brook Sanctuary

The forest is in constant change. We follow the seasons and inspect the woods for signs that life remains. There are always signs. Curiosity is rewarded even in the most secretive forest! Snow reveals the forest and rain softens the earth to expose its activity. Spring coaxes even the smallest life from its hiding place. Rains flood the old beaver marsh encouraging salamander and sundew. Moose and deer roam the sanctuary gaining strength after winter gives in.

The forest provides nest and nurture for each new life in summer, and releases its abundance each autumn. How can the lives of the forest not make themselves known to the careful observer? Resident and migrant alike leave their mark.

Visit the woods and write down the things you see. Come again and write more. Each time you come and ask, more of the woods will be known to you.

Snags
Dead trees that are still standing are some of the busiest parts of the forest. Here we see the food chain in action. All the decay going on welcomes insects and other life that feeds on detritus. Woodpeckers can turn a tree into veritable swiss cheese as they bore in search of ants and termites. Sapsuckers' movement up (down?) the tree creates a spiral pattern of tiny holes around the trunk. The square or oval-shaped holes of the pileated woodpecker vary in size and shape. Especially along the YY trail, there are pileated holes down low on some of the evergreens. Get a close look at their work and notice the maze of holes within holes creating a network of shallow tunnels in the trunk.

Deeper tree holes provide nesting space for woodpeckers, screech owls and even flying squirrels. Grey squirrels using a hole will chew all around the edge of he opening to enlarge it for their nest, but screech owls just squeeze right in.

Bears
Look carefully at the trees you pass along the trails. Nut producing trees like the beech are particularly good places to see signs of black bear activity. The soft bark of medium sized beech trees can show patterns of 4 or 5 half inch scratch marks where bear claws have made their impression as the bear climbed the tree in search of its fruit. As it climbs, the bear may pull 2 or 3 branches together to reach the beech nuts. After it eats, the branches sometimes remain entwined and the leaves, which tend to stay on the branches all winter, form a massive clump some say look like "bear nests".

Bear also eat insects, and may roll over logs to tear apart termite or ant nests. Try finding bear signs around another of their favorite foods;skunk cabbage, the first green of spring on the forest floor.

Sounds
The noises of the forest are its breath. It takes in life with a chorus of spring peepers and exhales the phrases of songbirds. Its heart beats with the thunder of flushing ruffed grouse. Listen for sounds of its life. The syncopated hammerings of the pileated woodpecker can be heard a mile(?) away. If you hear high-pitched whining, like the sounds of a muffled gossip session, it is likely a porcupine carrying on. Should you be fortunate enough to meet one on the path, know that they have poor eyesight. But they can sense vibrations so stomping on the ground will warn them of your approach. Or maybe you can hear the yips of a coyote family when food arrives. Their cries are choppier and younger-sounding than most dog's barking.

Tracking
Tracking is a great way to get to know the wildlife within Stoney Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. Determining which animal make the track, and then even following it can lead one into the mysterious world of its creator.

The first thing to do is find a track. Look in the mud along roads or the swamp edge, and in the winter search snow covered areas for imprints or signs of wildlife activity. After you find a track, follow it until you find a print showing clearly the shape and number of toes. If you cannot find a clear print you can use the track pattern to discover its maker. Measure the prints from one side of the toe pattern to the other.

Look at the general shape of the print. Round paws with no claw marks are probably feline. Bobcat prints measure 2 inches wide and 2 inches long with four toes. They make strides of 10 to 14 inches.

Logging Roads
When given the chance, most animals will choose to take the easiest route. That's why trails and old roads are great tracking locations. Along the logging roads search for bear tracks where they stopped to eat from berry bushes. Grouse are common trail crossers, leaving their four-toedfootprints close together. The prints of the turkey are nearly identical but three times larger, the same way that deer and moose tracks match except in size.

Woodcock spiral skyward in their spring courtship dance, to land again along these makeshift runways. Look for "poke holes" in the mud where they probe for earthworms with their flexible bills. You may also notice ruffed grouse balancing precariously from low branches, eating new buds and berries.

Red efts glow like embers from the leave litter. They are the rebellious terrestrial forms of red spotted newts. These subadults roam the woods, possibly as a means of dispersal should their pond dry up, before changing back into their aquatic adult stage to carry on their species. Search for the newt along the edges of the marsh, and find the eft sauntering the logging roads after warm rains. If you can, observe the differences between the two. Can you tell they are the same species?