Woodpeckers and other wildlife are known to store food that they plan to eat later. Caching behavior can be observed year-round, but it is during autumn and winter when I notice an increase in the frequency of this activity.
Clumps of crescent-shaped seed pods embellished a dried plant that stood a few feet tall. The plant lined an open trail and called for a closer examination.
The ice over the pond was thinning, betraying the dark water beneath its increasingly transparent surface. A trio of beavers was there.
