GLLT - Heald and Bradley Ponds Reserve
Gallie Trail - Tracking
February 8, 2014

Location

Aerial view of the trek via Google Earth. 


Closer view of the trek via Google Earth.
Our path (in purple) superimposed on GLLT map. Go here to see the path superimposed on an 1858 map of Oxford County.



Hike Summary


Notes and Photos
Tracks

Most of the tracks seen on this day were made by small animals. Handouts prepared by GLLT docents helped differentiate the tracks made by shrews, voles, and mice based on patterns, stride (length between sets of tracks), and straddle (track width).  The tracks shown in this photo are most likely made by shrews, whose tracks tend to radiate from holes like "spokes of a wheel."


The exception to the frequent small animal tracks was this one.
This is not a very good image of the leavings of a grouse moving through/under the snow from right to left.
This portion of the track is about 5 feet in length.




Photo below shows the left end of the track left by the grouse (above). As he escapes in flight, he leaves some scat before becoming airborne (direction of movement is right to left).
Kudos to Leigh and Joan for finding this.



A large cellar hole just off the trail. Possibly residence of S. McDaniel as shown on the 1850 map of Oxford County?