Williams Woods

Williams Woods

Our trip to Williams Woods, located in Charlotte, Vermont,  took place on a overcast day in mid-February with a temperature in the 30s. Upon entering the woods we came across a large swath of of forest that had been disturbed. For over three hundred feet there were trees down in various directions and of various ages. We determined the disturbance had been a microburst of wind which violently struck the trees and caused them to fall in such a disarrayed fashion. 

Area affected by microburst

Beyond the disturbance we came upon the edge of the woods which bordered a field. Judging by the placement of the older trees along the edge of the field we found that the property lines had shifted slightly over the past one hundred years. Many of the trees in this area were between fifty and one hundred years old.

Deeper into the woods we came upon a turkey that had been killed recently. Beneath the turkey we found corn that someone had either baited or fed to the turkey but the person who fed the turkey was not the one who killed it. The animal responsible for killing the turkey was probably a fisher cat or possibly a bobcat. The creature perched above the corn, waiting for the turkey to amble over and begin eating, then the cat jumped down from the tree and killed the turkey.

Old Growth White Oak

As we moved deeper into the woods we came across some older trees that may be over one hundred years old. They stood much taller than the other trees which tended to be hemlocks. Beyond the older trees is a stand of young white pines which were between twenty and thirty years old. Some of these trees were found to have been used by woodpeckers. 

Young White Pine Stand