Eric Outterson

Hank Art

Natural History of the Berkshires

 

A Muted Woods

Thursday October 22, 2009

10:02PM-10:25PM

I came late in the evening with the hope of discovering a new creature in my site and a chance to document its call.  Unfortunately strong storm-like gusts blew cold wind and many leaves.  There were no bird calls tonight.  Using the digital recorder, I was unable to record the noise of anything but many rustling leaves.

I did, however, see a two foot long skunk cross my path.  On the stones of Stetson Wood’s southern hillside I spotted him, and he seemed completely unmindful of my presence.  While I was fairly sure that I blended in well, I was still concerned enough that I continued my examination of the Stetson Parking lot woods around the perimeter, away from the rock under which I saw him disappear.  Unfortunately, the skunk approached closer to the curb where I had been examining the largely maple leaf cover on the ground.

Even though I had not recorded any sounds, I was afraid that I might be able to record a scent, so I left with great haste.

Friday October 23, 2009

4:30PM-4:55PM

Returning again, it was still breezy and cold in mid 40’s.  The wind wasn’t as strong as Thursday but it was still cold.  Beginning my observation anew, I saw and heard at least five different red squirrels running about rustling the thick leaf cover.  Unfortunately, however, there were no birds chirping, and the loudest noise I recorded was leaf rustling.

To record noise, I decided that I would wait on one of the rocks, hunched over.  After about 15 minutes of sitting calmly on one of the large rocks in the middle of the Stetson woods, I saw a chipmunk scurry into a hole 30 feet to my left.  Over the next five minutes I saw his exact location from a bump upward in the leaf cover wherever he tunneled.  I could barely believe it, it was like a cartoon’s rendition of mole tunneling through the earth.

My musings on the matter, however, were interrupted by a startling and gruff “what are you doing down there?”  It was Chuck Roberts, assuming the worst of a boy crouched in the middle of the woods with a mysterious object in his hands.  I naively responded “I’m recording nature.”  Finally, however, I explained myself and he told me he’s seen raccoons down in Stetson woods too.  No audio recordings of any raccoons unfortunately, but given my trust in Chuck Roberts I’ll add them to the list of species in my woods.

Sunday October 25 2009

2:30PM-2:55PM

In another attempt to record sound I came back to try once more on a day with weather Friday’s.  I saw more red squirrels and chipmunks, but again I heard absolutely no birds.  I was again very disappointed and left with only leaves rustling on my recordings.

5:20PM-5:45PM

More leaves rustling…

Monday October 26, 2009

5:15PM-6:00PM

Monday was a little warmer at about 50 degrees with blue skies obscured only by wispy cirrus clouds.  Coming this time I was unable to hear any birds coming from my site.  The only noise I heard from birds came from crows outside the Stetson woods.  The only sounds I heard inside Stetson woods were from red squirrels that rustled the leaves.

Sounds aside, I noticed that over the past five days much of the highest parts of the trees had defoliated, and many more maples in my site gained a yellow hue.  Walking into the middle of my site I spotted several of the winged euonymus that had begun to turn red.  It was very striking, as in the middle of the woods, many of the small maples and white ash (I’m almost certain the trees I tried to identify before are white ash) had remained green.  The whole woods was experiencing fall from top to bottom, from outside to inside.

Leaving the Stetson Woods, I tried to walk quietly but crunched leaves loudly with every step.  I could not step making noise if I wanted to.  If only recording the sounds I wanted were quite as simple.