Animal Tracks II: Telling a story

Animal Tracks part 1.

Heading into late March it appears that winter is on its way out. The last big snowfall has almost melted away, making for soggy ground during the day but overnight lows are still giving hard freezes. Overall, it’s currently terrible conditions for tracking and many roads and trails are still treacherously ice encrusted. So let’s take a look back at a story I found in the snow one day mid-winter instead.

mousiehophop — A little mouse hopping along in the snow.

deepersnow — Deeper snow and slower movement left tail tracks as well as feet. In this picture you can also see the large flat crystal shape common for the snow this winter. It’s very dry, light, and fluffy and looks like glitter as it falls. Reminds me of old Roger’s Pass videos about the “dangerous snow layer” that causes snow slip avalanches.

ohno — Hoppity hop, oh NO! That’s a predator’s mark, not my clumsy footsteps obscuring the trail.

dodgeandweave — Quick, dodge and weave! Evasive manoeuvers!

mouse0owl1 — Owl: 1 Mouse: 0. The long ridges in the snow are wing marks. You’ll see similar marks in summer dirt from grouse dust bathing.