I owe all of you an explanation. For understandable reasons I lost my writing mojo for about six months. Covid-19 didn’t help the situation and neither did the recent devastating fires that caused me, along with thousands of other people to evacuate out of our homes in the mountains. I’m thankful that the gorgeous redwoods […]
Coyote 09M, like others of his species, is extremely smart. He’s beaten the odds and is thriving in a dangerous and competitive environment. 09M’s one of the lucky ones; in fact he’s now the only confirmed living member of his natal family. Despite being highly intelligent and quick learners, only 50% of coyote pups live […]
The trail cameras do a great job of documenting the seasonal changes. It’s hot and water is becoming scarcer. August wasn’t as active in the wildlife department as in previous months, but we did film some bobs, Coyote 09M and deer. Along with the reduction in predators, the cameras have only caught a couple of […]
“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 […]
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. […]