The Meadow is an endless source of exploring all year round. Snake hunting in the summer, caterpillars in the fall, cocoons to explore in the spring, and abandoned nests to admire in the winter...and that's just skimming the surface!
We entered the meadow via the trail across from the Catholic Church. Within minutes, we had our first discovery - a beautiful nest. It's such a treat to study up close the intricate weavings of a birds nest, nestled in it's original branch. To see the way it's been connected to the tree, and the use of twigs, moss, mud is amazing. True little carpenters.
The view from the bridge that crosses the creek changes with each season. In the winter, the tall grasses are flattened, the skunk cabbage is hibernating and the berry bushes are baren. The water is crystal clear allowing for beautiful reflections of the flooded forest. We found several more nests perched on the bare branches of the salmon berry bushes along this section of the trail before entering the meadow.
I find the meadow appears even more massive in the winter. Perhaps it's the lack of tall grasses that shape the trail and fields. This is a great time of year to study the meadow floor in search of owl pellets and rodent holes. The bank along the trail ditch is filled with garter snake burrows, that will be filled with snakes this summer.
We are so lucky to have this beautiful property so easily accessible all year round.
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