Although I rarely see them, the animals in the woods at my local marsh were out and about after our recent snowstorm and their tracks made fascinating patterns in the fresh snow. What animals made the tracks and what were they doing?
I took these photos in a remote area of my local marshland park, near what I believe to be an active beaver lodge, the location at which I have previously spotted a fox, an otter, and a raccoon.
I suspect that there are resources on the internet that would help me identify these tracks, but for the moment I am content with the reminder that I am a visitor in the home of these unseen woodland creatures.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Thoughtful post. Noticed the same thing at Blackwater this past weekend. In fact, the number of tracks in the woods along the marsh there looked kind of like a highway because of the number of tracks. They’re there all along, watching us in silence as we make our noisy, cumbersome way through the woods.
I am always bemused by wandering tracks. What was the distraction that drew the animal away? Great post.
Only because there are track in the winter snow, am I able to see what is wandering my rural yard. I enjoyed your post and the tracks you found.
Do a little detective work and let me know what you deduce, Sherlock! http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/entm/wildlifehotline/pages/TrackID.aspx
That first shot is of tracks I’ve never seen. I can’t imagine what made them.