Forestal Signatures

New snowfall covers my snowshoe tracks in between every effort to make a trail the last couple of weeks.  It gives a perfect chanse to observe the tracks of wild animals.  Usually the animals dont move much the first days after a heavy snowfall, but it seems like they were in a need for a walk today.

Hares occure most abundantly with no particular direction to its tracks.  The fox has been absent for a while, but is forced on the go - maybe by hunger.  Squirrels have been in a hurry - no doubt about that - running at high speed from one tree to the next.  The most lazy walker is the lynx, barely lifting its legs off the ground and making parallell longitudinal lines in the snow.  Only a short sprint trying to catch a hare will make the lynx put enough energy to suspend its legs above the snowy surface.  The moose has no trouble walking with dignity and in no hurry on its stilt-like legs.  I doubt the snow is a hindrance for the king of the woods. The deer, not as large as the moose, has still no problems walking down to an opening in the river for a sip of water.  The last one to mention, made my wolfdog startle by its sudden appearance from under the snow.  A woodpecker had found an ants nest in a rotten log under the snow and had a january culinary meal while we almost stepped on it.  To get up into the air from under the snow made such noise that my wolfdog run off in fear.