Bobcat fishing
San Mateo, California is an affluent, suburban community where residents enjoy mild weather and amenities such as up-scale restaurants and specialty shops. In addition to people, common rats also enjoy living the good life here. They’ve adapted well to the near-perfect climate all year round and the gourmet food that is just a short scurry […]
“Cats are cats” was the response from my zoologist friend as we compared how bobcats and feral cats select, patrol and live in their ranges. Thanks to our trail cameras we have hundreds of 20 second videos to watch—superb vignettes of the resident bobcats on patrol in the canyon. Like all felids, bobcats and feral […]
Predators including bobcats, mountain lions and coyotes who don’t want to share resources as well as those who do, are adept at communicating their intentions through scent marking—to their own as well as other species. And often, they scent mark on top of each other’s mark. It’s not always in the best interests for predators […]
I’ve never been particularly partial to rodents who resemble rats. In fact, I try to avoid them. That changed after one of my wildlife cameras filmed a number of surprisingly adorable, industrious little rodents gathering sticks and leaves late at night. This was my first introduction to the fascinating dusky-footed woodrat. (Neotoma fuscipes). These little […]
Finally it’s the beginning of summer and the trails are alive with activity—human and animal. Our wildlife cameras are capturing it all, including those changes that are caused by natural seasonal cycles as well as adaptations in animal behavior that are likely influenced by people out on the trails day and night. Summer changes The […]
Camera #4 films the most activity of the 6 cameras I’m monitoring. It’s located in an ideal spot for sighting animals—on a trail that follows a creek at the bottom of a lush canyon. A wide diversity of wildlife and humans use this trail 24 hours a day. I understand—it meanders through a cool forest […]
Our trail cameras have spied on a rich array of wildlife, including bobcats, foxes, mountain lions, coyotes and deer. Many of them are regulars—repeatedly visiting the cameras for the last 6 months. I’ve gradually learned to recognize individuals. Through recognition comes attachment—I confess that I’ve named some of them. These 4-legged visitors have great reasons […]
At first it didn’t make sense. It took a little sleuthing for us to figure out what had changed. For the last few months, camera #2 spied on deer, rabbits, possums and an occasional coyote. It was predictable—I pretty much knew what critters would make regular appearances at night. Something changed a few weeks ago. […]
Spying on Mountain Lions, Bobcats and Other Animals I’m maintaining between 4-7 wildlife cameras for the Bay Area Puma Project (BAPP) and for me. They feed my addiction for secretly spying on wildlife doing their natural thing. In addition to collecting general data about our local apex predators, some of the cameras are positioned strategically […]