Three Weeks at the Big Log

Not far from where this is being written is a patch of mature woodland that has all the characteristics of an old-growth forest – there are large old trees and small young ones; many species of trees and shrubs grow in this woodland in addition to the five species of oaks that cause it to be described as an oak forest; dead woody material lies on the ground in abundance, from small branches to the fallen trunks of very large trees; the death of those large trees has created wide gaps in the canopy that will allow some of the small young trees to grow and prosper.

Although this woodland has many of the characteristics of an old-growth forest, it is not as it seems. The trees are growing on very fertile well-watered soil; the forest hasn’t been disturbed in a long time, at least 80 years; it’s likely that it was not logged in the 20^th Century; a farm woodlot is what this forest has been since the late 1700s. So it's definitely not an old-growth forest.

The trunk of one of those large fallen trees created an opportunity for the placement of a camera trap, one that was in place for a mere three weeks. The reward for putting the camera at the big log is here –

The camera trap recorded a large number of videos of gray squirrels on the log. You’ve been spared all but one of those videos, I just had to include one to prove gray squirrels inhabit this woodland.

The tailless raccoon appears to have a significant medical problem. Speaking of medical issues, the three-legged raccoon seems to be getting along just fine and has raised two young ones.

As for young ones, those young bears returned to mess with the camera trap as bears often do.