Fragments of the Wild

Although 88 Acres may seem like a large area to the people who live on the rim and walk the trails, it isn’t large enough to successfully supply enough food, territory and mates for many of the wild animals who are regularly filmed there. This small wildlife oasis is only a small part of a network of other wild spaces in this suburban-scape. These natural places are separated from each other by busy roads, highways, fences and structures. In addition to these splintered, wild areas there is a large open space managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. In order to obtain enough food and to find mates, the animals have to travel between these green pockets. It’s dangerous for them; many do not survive past their first year, becoming victims of vehicles.

Share the space, avoid humans

Because of the size of the canyon, animals, including bobcats, coyotes, deer and mountain lions share the habitat with each other as well as the people who have discovered this small slice of paradise. Over the past 4 years, my wildlife cameras have recorded 1,000s of vignettes of wild animals hunting, patrolling, raising their young and living their lives along the trails that crisscross through the little wildlife oasis. Amazingly, the animals are mostly successful at avoiding people who hike, walk, jog and exercise their dogs on and off leash.

Mountain lion family

It is never predictable. Weeks can go by and only a few animals are captured on film, but then there are other times when the memory cards are full of extraordinary wildlife. Recently, the little canyon has been in for a treat. Along with the regular wild residents, mountain lions are visiting. Although we¹ regularly film pumas, this is the first time in 4 years that we are privileged to glimpse a little mountain lion family—a mom with her cub.

Lions in the hood

As a rule, pumas don’t want anything to do with humans and will attempt to time their visits to avoid us. Unfortunately, because of the increasing pressures of urbanization, it’s becoming harder for them to avoid detection. Their wild environments are shrinking, fragmenting and disappearing. As their habitats are squeezed, animals have little choice but to venture into nearby neighborhoods, seeking food, water and territory. Deer feast on plants around homes and the predators, including mountain lions and coyote, follow them. Felidae/Bay Area Puma Project conducted a study in the San Francisco Bay Area to predict the habitats that mountain lions occupy in these highly fragmented urban and suburban landscapes. The study found that instead of pumas being partial to areas with a high density of prey (deer), they prefer forested habitats that have sufficient cover that supports their stalk and ambush hunting strategies.

Human residents are seeing wild animals with increasing frequency. Recently, a home security camera located near the canyon filmed a large male mountain lion killing a female lion early in the morning and then dragging her down the street.

Mountain lions are highly territorial; males especially do not tolerate other lions in their territory. If their habitats weren’t shrinking and becoming increasingly splintered, the two may have never encountered each other. It is possible that both lions followed the deer into the neighborhood where the fatal confrontation occurred.

This may be a video of the male lion, crossing the busy road that borders the canyon a week after the deadly battle.

Usually our local mountain lions visit the canyon late at night, when people aren’t around. A study was conducted about five years ago that showed that even the sound of human voices was enough to startle them away from their meals. Confrontations with humans are rare. According to California Fish and Wildlife, there have been 19 attacks since 1984. Of those 19, three were fatal. The last fatality in the Bay Area occurred in 1909 in Morgan Hill and that mountain lion had rabies.

Although encounters between mountain lions and people are rare, it’s important to be cautious. Children should always be accompanied by adults and it’s safer to not hike alone. If you do happen to see a puma or a coyote, don’t run. Instead morph into a large, fearsome human—wave your arms, do jumping jacks and yell. Minimize your chances of crossing paths with predators by enjoying the wild areas only during the day. Pumas are generally the most active between dusk and dawn. Thousand of videos from trail cameras show wildlife activity occurring predominantly at night and in the early morning, before first light.

We are fortunate to have natural habitats adjacent to our communities as well as small wild pockets within some of our towns. Unfortunately, because of the increase in urbanization and the growing population, these habitats are disappearing, becoming increasingly fragmented and reduced in size. By themselves, they are not large enough to support and sustain healthy ecosystems—but, together they form a network. Wildlife has no choice but to travel across dangerous roads and sometimes into the neighborhoods in order to access these wild areas for food and mates. Although they want to avoid people, expect to occasionally spot wild animals on the roads, in your yards and on security cameras².

1. Years ago I started monitoring cameras in this canyon solely for the Bay Area Puma Project (Felidae Conservation Fund)–one of our scientists identified it as good location for research. After a few years, BAPP turned it over to me and although it’s still part of our research, it is the primary focus of my articles. 
2. Thank you Zara McDonald for fact checking.  

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

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The wildlife in the little canyon, like in other open spaces that are squeezed in by urbanization, must adapt and adjust to shrinking habitats that are increasingly fragmented by highways and buildings.

Predators, being territorial, need lots of open, wild acreage to live and hunt in. Additionally, some predators, such as mountain lions live solitary lives and in most circumstances don’t tolerate other lions. It’s a challenge for apex predators to navigate the dwindling open areas without encountering each other.

Bobcat on the trail

Canyon changes

At the rim of the canyon, trees are being cleared from the building sites while large equipment removes earth and pours foundations for future homes. Although the county has mandated the canyon below remains wild, the noise and chaos along with a slight reduction in acreage, is impacting the wild residents. Although the canyon still provides the animals sustenance and shelter, their routes have changed along with the times they use the shared trails.

Sharing the space

Marking is an essential way that predators, including bobcats, pumas, foxes and coyotes share the shrinking landscape. Animals distribute their pheromones/scent through urinating, defecating, rubbing and scratching objects and the ground. Through marking, individuals are identified along with their territories, state of health, age and when they passed by. Wild animals also mark to advertise for mates.

Marking helps territorial predators safely avoid each other in dwindling habitats. Perhaps marking increases with the decrease of space, enabling predators to successfully share the wild without potentially dangerous encounters.

Foxes are notorious for marking with feces in the middle of trails. The last couple of months the cameras have recorded this fox, along with it’s mate, cruising through the canyon—stopping periodically in the middle of the trail and pooping.

A few hours after the fox left his calling card, a resident coyote trotted up the trail, ran by the feces, hesitated, turned around, checked it out and then urinated on top of it, leaving his scent. Although marking is a typical behavior, predators may be engaging in more of it as they adapt to living in shrinking habitats.

Intriguing scents

Specific smells attract animals. The original “Obsession for Men” had the reputation of being alluring to felines. Lions, bobcats, jags and other felids would rub and mark areas that were saturated with it. There was a good reason for their obsessions with Obsession. The original fragrance contained civet musk scent, harvested from the anal glands of civet cats. The fragrance currently is formulated with a synthetic version of the scent and civets are no longer abused for the pheromone. The downside is that the new version of the perfume isn’t as intriguing to felids. I experimented and sprayed the stinky stuff on a couple of areas that are popular with our resident felids and canids. They all walked by without a glance or a sniff. The only reaction to the perfume was from a little boy who wrinkled his nose and wanted to know what the cloying smell was.

Pumpkin pie spice proved to be more lucrative. I sprinkled two different types of the spice on the trail. An adolescent coyote and a few deer were especially intrigued by the scent. Although last year the bobcats showed an interest, this year the cameras didn’t film them reacting to it.

An adolescent coyote was curious. He spent about 5 minutes investigating the spice.

Does were also drawn to the pumpkin pie spice. Although the cameras recorded mature bucks walking past the spiced up spots, none stopped to check it out.

Living in the hood

Novembers’ highlights wouldn’t be complete without videos of a some of the permanent residents.

Coyote 09M

Coyotes, being versatile, easily adapt to living near people, in some situations they thrive. The construction hasn’t put too much of a dent in the lives of 09M and his mate. They continue to hunt and patrol the canyon, with one visible change. 09M now only has one ear tag. It’s not known how he lost the other one. It may have been pulled out in a fight with another animal or by playing rough with his mate or perhaps he snagged it on something sharp like barbed wire or a branch.

Something has caught 09M’s attention. He held this position for three minutes before continuing up the trail.

Bobcats

The canyon’s resident bobcats consistently use the same trails for creek crossings. It’s easy to recognize individuals because the shapes and placement of their spots are unique to each cat.

It’s hard to tell what the evening catch is. It looks like a weasel or a ferret. The bobcats have been filmed occasionally catching and dining on them. It’s a mystery why this one wasn’t eaten.

Mature buck

This boy has been hanging out in the canyon for more than a year—he has an impressive set of antlers.

Banana slug sighting

The month wouldn’t be complete without a special tribute to California’s unofficial state mollusk—the banana slug. They have a tendency to show themselves during the winter months, sometimes hanging out in groups. It’s impossible to catch them on video because they move so slow…

Banana slug–California’s unofficial state mollusk

Marilyn Krieger, CCBC (The Cat Coach, LLC®) and author of Naughty No More! helps solve cat behavior challenges nationally and internationally through on site and remote consultations.

Her fascination with cat behaviors began with household cats and quickly expanded to wild felids.

Marilyn enjoys educating people about cat behavior. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio. She has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS,  ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about cats, wild and domestic, on her Facebook page

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Along with the reduction in predators, the cameras have only caught a couple of woodrats and rabbits—favorite menu items for coyotes and bobcats.  Hopefully this is just a natural cycle and not a situation influenced by humans.  Wildlife, when left to their own devices, are efficient conservationists. Predators have large territories that include different areas with abundant prey. After chowing down on available prey in one area, they move to another good hunting area in their territories. They don’t eat all of the prey—there are always some that escape the hungry predators, quickly reproducing and repopulating the area over time.

Bobcats

We almost stepped into a pile of poop last week next to the primary camera. Some animal had purposely scraped and defecated in the middle of the trail, marking territory. I thought either a bobcat, fox or a Chihuahua. One of the other cameras cleared up the mystery.

Another way bobcats mark is by spraying. This is a popular spot that bobcats spray almost every time they go by it. This short trail, ends at the edge of the creek next to a clear pool of water.

Check out this bob crossing the busy street during rush hour traffic.

Wow! Impressive canines.

Bobcat walking to the creek

Coyotes

I’m glad to see that 09M is sticking around the canyon. Although the cameras film him frequently, lately, they’ve rarely caught him with his mate. It’s also been about one month since we last recorded the puppies.

Deer

A sharp, loud noise startled this deer. Turn up the sound and listen to the beginning of the video, it sounds like a gun. What do you think?

One of the canyon’s resident deer attempts to cross the busy road. She does this often, but this time is startled back by a car. Good for her, she’s cautious and has street smarts.

The post August, a Visual Essay appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Bobcats on the trail. Photo by Marilyn Krieger/FelidaeFund

Like all felids, bobcats and feral cats are territorial. Patrolling and marking their home ranges ups the odds of surviving in harsh environments. Although there are similarities in how the two species choose and live in them, there are also differences.

Ideal neighborhoods

Felids don’t randomly choose where to live. They’re very picky—selecting areas that have an abundance of prey or other sources of food. They also look for habitats with lots of vegetation and other natural features that help up the odds of fruitful hunts and temporary cover. The proximity of other predators, roads and people also restrains the location and the size of ranges.

Safe spaces

Bobcats and feral cats have special spots in their ranges that they use consistently. They’re the safe, inner sanctums and include well hidden shelters for birthing and raising kittens, secure places for napping, as well as reliable sources for food and water. They’re not in permanent places—often felids relocate and have a number of these safe areas. Predators, a reduction in food, weather changes, people as well as soiled dens are a few of the motivations behind moving operations.

Although bobcat moms have more than one den, they don’t move kittens until they’re about 6 weeks old—unless predators or other threats are knocking on the door.  The surrounding home ranges are buffer zones—they include good hunting spots as well as other resources. Felids, including bobcats and ferals, make the rounds, patrolling and marking their ranges on a regular basis. Marking reduces conflicts with other felids—in theory, less energy is spent defending their home ranges.

Feral cat patrolling and marking. Photo from Shutterstock

Bobcat perspective

The size of home ranges aren’t fixed in stone. They may be less than a square mile to more than 35 square miles. When prey is scarce, then the areas the bobcats patrol are larger. Hungry bobs have to travel further to eat. When there is an abundance of prey nearby, range sizes shrink. Bobcats are natural prey regulators—when an area has been over-hunted, bobs focus their hunting on other spots in their ranges that are rich in food. This gives prey a chance to rebound. We’ve observed this with our cameras—they recorded a large fluctuation in the population of dusky-footed woodrats after the bobcat kittens were born and a bonded pair of coyotes began patrolling the trail. For a few months last year the cameras filmed an abundance of woodrats. After the bobs and coyotes increased, their numbers plummeted.

Male bobcats usually have much larger ranges than the girls—two-five times larger. For obvious reasons, their ranges overlap the girls’. Bobcat boys being bobcat boys, their ranges include those of more than one female—the 3 cameras on the trail have recorded two adult females and one male.

Girl bobs don’t tolerate boys in their core zones when they’re giving birth and raising young ones. Most of the time females avoid the boys except when they’re advertising for male company.

Girl bobs have less tolerance for their own sex then they do for the opposite sex. But, depending on the abundance of prey, their ranges often butt up against female relatives. They’re masters of time sharing—they patrol and hunt overlapping areas, but never at the same time. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters recognize each other’s familial scent. Other unknown females who aren’t recognized are driven off.

No one, not even close relatives, are allowed in the inner-sanctums, the core use areas where kittens are born, raised and taught important life skills.

Habitat fragmentation

Avoiding run-ins with people is at the top of the list. Busy roads on two sides and homes on the rim of this 93 acre canyon hem in and fragment their habitat, making it difficult and stressful for bobs and other wildlife to access the nearby wild areas. Bobs cross the roads and slip through neighborhood yards late at night and early morning when there is less chance of encountering people. One of our cameras, located next to the road filmed the mom bobcat at 6:00 AM, carrying prey in her mouth as she crossed the street to the canyon.

Feral cat perspective

Whole feral males, like male bobcats, claim ranges that are much larger than the queens. Feral boys being feral boys, their ranges overlap the girls’ ranges. Queens actively avoid toms except when they’re loudly soliciting for flirtatious encounters.

Unlike female bobs who don’t tolerate members of their own sex, feral queens’ share their core territories with other girls. These include colonies populated with other adult females and their kittens. No toms are allowed. Residents are related—they’re sisters, aunts, mothers, daughters and granddaughters. Girls recognize each other through the familial scent that is shared through mutual grooming. Communal living with relatives has many benefits. Queens look after each other’s kittens and there is safety in numbers. They successfully defend the colony from predators and toms.

Feral queens’ share their core territories with other girls. Photo by Jerry Wang

There’s a higher density of feral cats living on the urban edge than there are bobcats. Because of their high numbers and limited areas to live, ferals share and overlap ranges more than bobs do. By necessity, ferals have evolved to be more tolerant of each other and they’ve perfected the art of avoidance. They mark key spots in their ranges with excrement and they deposit pheromones by scratching and rubbing objects. The system works most of the time. Through marking they usually can avoid confrontations with each other—unless there are females looking for boyfriends. Then, all bets are off.

Feral cats have a different relationship with urban life than bobcats do. Although, they usually keep their distance from people, they benefit from living near us. Often the best food choices are found around homes, restaurants and other peopled areas. In addition to having a choice of rats and mice who feast on garbage, cat lovers often serve the cats meals on a regular basis.

Most people can live their whole lives without seeing a bobcat in its natural environment, whereas feral cats are frequently seen by everyone.

Feral cats enjoying a feast. Photo by Bonnie Kittle

Life isn’t easy for wild cats. Felids, including bobcats and ferals need reliable sources of food, water and safe places to shelter and birth kittens. It’s a competitive world—in addition to challenges from conspecifics, other predators compete for the same resources. In order to survive, wild felids, defend and patrol ranges that are rich in the resources so essential to survival. Although there are similarities, there are also differences in how each species lives and defends them.

Please check out my Facebook page The Cat Coach.  It’s about all things cat—wild and domestic…

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It’s not always in the best interests for predators to have unintended encounters with other predators. Meetings can end badly with individuals being hurt and sometimes killed. Predators need ways to define territories, identify family members as well as advertise for mates. And, these communication systems have to work remotely. The messages need to be clear for minutes, hours, sometimes days after being strategically placed.

Sharing a limited area

The little canyon is only 93 acres. Houses at the rim and two busy roads surround the wild area. One of the roads separates the canyon from an expansive, natural habitat that is enclosed by fences. Although predators and ungulates make regular forays back and forth across the road, wildlife has to adjust their behaviors in order to share the limited area in the canyon.

Predators communicate through scent marking

Scent marking is an effective form of communication, broadcasting a variety of messages including when individuals patrol the trail. It helps predators, including bobcats, coyotes and an occasional mountain lion, time share the path with a minimum of unplanned encounters. They mark by spraying, urinating, defecating and scraping in prominent spots. In addition to excrement, felids distribute their scent by scratching objects, face rubbing and head butting.

Scent marking is similar to leaving time-stamped calling cards. Scent glands release pheromones that other animals detect. They broadcast dossiers of information about the markers along with their intentions. In addition to delineating territories, scent identifies individuals, their health, sex, and whether they’re ready to rendezvous with a member of the opposite sex. The freshness of the mark time stamps the visit.

Wildlife kiosk

One of our cameras is positioned to record predators marking at the same site. The wildlife cam is facing a popular wildlife intersection that is frequently visited by multiple species. It captures videos of coyotes, bobcats and domestic dogs sniffing the spot and then leaving their individual calling cards that are detected by the next animal making his/her rounds. Most predators spend time checking the marked spot, but not all leave calling cards.

The camera repeatedly catches the same coyote pair on patrol. They take turns urinating in the same spot. Hours later, a solitary coyote usually checks out the smell and then hurries up the path without marking.  We’ve seen the same behavior from bobcats.

Four to five bobcats frequent the intersection. One male and a female with her two kittens are regularly recorded. The male is typically solitary, whereas the female is often in the company of her kittens, unless she’s hunting. We’ve seen the kittens develop from when they were a couple of months old. The larger kitten has recently become interested in the marked spot. Although he (we are assuming this is a male) hasn’t left his calling card, he thoroughly checks out the scents.

It’s not just the wild animals who are fascinated with the virtual sign post. The trail is popular with people and their dogs. The camera documents dogs sniffing and then urinating over the marks left by their wild coyote cousins and bobcats. People who walk their dogs daily on the trail probably don’t think about why their dogs choose that particular spot to mark.

The scent markings also serve as alerts for animals down the food chain who are potential meals. Even with built-in artillery, this skunk doesn’t stay long. He takes a whiff and makes a quick getaway.

Household predators

Our sweet companion cats engage in many of the same instinctual behaviors that their wild felid cousins do. Scent is important to them as well—they mark for the same reasons and ways their cousins do. In addition to facial rubs, head butting and scratching objects, whole domestic and feral cats will mark with urine and feces (spaying and neutering household cats usually stops them from marking with excreta).

Natural habitats are shrinking. Highways cut through territories, buildings encroach on wild areas. Urbanization has greatly reduced the wild lands that are the homes for many animal species. In order to survive, animals must adjust to the shrinking lands. Predators who are territorial, need to share the land—scent marking is one of the effective ways that they can share the same space, but not necessarily at the same time.

Please check out my Facebook page The Cat Coach.  It’s about all things cat…

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Summer changes

The early summer heat has begun to impact the environment. Although the creek that is adjacent to my favorite trail has dried up, there is another water source nearby that wildlife can easily access. A spring at the base of the trail consistently produces fresh, clear water. And, there still is an abundance of vegetation—food for the deer and resident rodents who in turn attract predators. It may be a different story later in the summer when the vegetation dies off.

Baby animals on the trail

Spring brought with it new life. Many youngsters, such as these skunk kits, are now old enough to accompany their mums on the trail. Although I love being entertained by them, I’m grateful that I can watch them on a computer monitor.

Our wildlife cameras have been fortunate to film deer families, including newborns, fawns and yearlings. It’s delightful to watch these youngsters bopping up the trail.

The deer are plentiful—the majority of wildlife our cameras are filming this month is deer. Camera #2 filmed these three bucks. Note the velvet on their antlers. I am assuming that they are bros.

Deer on the trail. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

Wildlife adjusts to people

People are impacting the wildlife on the trails. Wild animals, including mountain lions and bobcats will go out of their ways to not cross paths with people. They adjust their schedules and routes in order to avoid chance encounters. It’s rare to catch glimpses of felines during the day around well hiked trails—they wait until late at night and before dawn to venture out, those times when humans are usually asleep.

Pumas adjust their schedules in order to avoid people. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

With the days becoming warm and long, camera #4 is filming a pattern. It is capturing videos of people traipsing the path at all hours of the day, including late at night and before dawn, those times when mountain lions and bobcats are the most likely to take advantage of it.  Although there may be other factors involved, such as seasonal cycles, animals appear to be shying away from the trail as it increases in popularity with people. Recently, we’ve only filmed a couple of bobcats late at night and no lions. I suspect that I won’t see the lions again until the fall or winter—I hope I’m wrong. Check out the time stamp on this video.

Daytime activity

The trail joins with another wildlife byway that meanders through a deep canyon until it reaches Crystal Springs Reservoir. This is a protected area with two man-made lakes—the west side is wild and virtually people-free. Only rangers and the few lucky Felidae volunteers, who maintain trail cameras, occasionally venture to the west side of the lakes. Because wildlife rarely encounters humans in that protected area, they don’t need to limit their activities to late at night. These playful mountain lion youngsters and their mum were filmed at around 5:00 PM about one month ago.

Puma cubs playing during the day. Photo courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund

Dusky-footed woodrats

This article wouldn’t be complete without checking in on the busy little woodrats. I found out this morning that these little guys are dusky-footed woodrats. Although it’s not clear how they are being impacted by the hot weather and the increase of people hiking the trail, camera #4 is filming an abundance of them being productive at night, collecting twigs to build and repair their homes. We also caught one enterprising woodrat adding on to her penthouse suite high up in a tree.

Dusky-footed woodrat home. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

The wildlife cameras are filming changes. Most are expected, caused by the cycle of seasons. Others may be caused by an increase of people enjoying popular trails throughout the day and into the night.

 

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My favorite trail is vibrant with a wide diversity of wildlife. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

Many animals call this canyon home. It’s a safe place for them to live, with an abundance of food and water. On both sides of the trail are what appear to be random piles of sticks haphazardly heaped together around the bases of trees. These aren’t the incidental products of sudden wind gusts. They’re homes—carefully and deliberately built. Most people, including me, hike by these structures without realizing that wood rats have built and live in them.

Wood rats build amazing structures. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

15 seconds of fame

Everyone can see camera #4. It’s not hidden. Bobcats, lions, humans and dogs routinely check it out. People of all ages wave, pose, perform, make faces and talk to the camera. We’ve captured precious footage of young children dancing and singing. There are also videos of people reading the wildlife study stickers that are taped on 3 sides of the camera. After one little boy’s mum finished reading it to him, the child authoritatively proclaimed “there aren’t any animals here” If he only knew…

A mountain lion patrols the canyon

I receive area-wide lion alerts, sightings called into the county by local residents. A number of these alerts include footage from home security cameras of lions cruising around homes. After each alert I check camera #4 (any excuse to walk my favorite trail). Often I find 2 videos filmed within 24 hours featuring the same adult male lion. One video catches him leisurely trotting up the trail, while another spots him coming back around 18 hours later.

Pumas don’t want to encounter people and will limit their times around suburban areas to late night in order to avoid us. This boy is no different. The camera spots him between 11:00 PM—4:00 AM when there’s a minimum of human activity. Since camera #4 records him regularly, I’m assuming that he is patrolling his territory. He’s beautiful and it’s a gift to see him.

Bobcats are frequent visitors

In addition to the lion, bobcats are regulars on the trail. Although their usual MO is to use it at night, the camera caught one last month at 9:54 AM, pausing before he guardedly moved up the trail. 2 seconds later, a jogger with a dog sprinted by.

Bobcats use the trail on a regular basis. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

Its spring and the animals have been very busy. Check out this bobcat waddling down the path—she looks like she’s about to be a mom. I plan to check the camera every week, in anticipation of eventually catching glimpses of her on the trail with kittens in tow.  I feel like an impatient aunt, waiting for news about the birth of a niece or nephew. Patience is not one of my strongest traits.

Bobcats as well as other large animals are aware of the camera at night. For an instant, the infrared light, triggered by movement catches their attention.

A diversity of species travel the trail

The canyon’s rich resources draw a large variety of animals. Possums, deer, skunks, rabbits, raccoons and a small owl are among those who are regulars on the trail.  Wood rats are also frequently filmed dashing across the trail to the safety of their stick houses.

Almost every night there’s at least one skunk who trots across the trail in front of the cam. Although it’s hard to see them through the dense vegetation, their tails are very distinctive. I love seeing those beautiful tails—on film and from a distance.

This lush, suburban canyon is full of surprises. I never know what camera #4 will show me and it never disappoints me. The videos of animals and people are a delight to see—I enjoy watching lions and pregnant bobcats as much as I am fond of seeing the children hamming it up in front of the lens. The videos are testaments of people and wild animals, including apex predators, timesharing the same trail, coexisting without conflicts or problems.

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Deer at Camera #2. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

On four consecutive nights there was a flurry of predator activity. The local bobcats and coyotes were very busy—hunting, grooming, pooping, marking and just chilling out. What happened that encouraged these guys to find camera #2 a great place to visit? And why did they hang out there for only a few days? As suddenly as they appeared, they disappeared. After they left, the deer, rabbits, possums and coyotes moved back in.

Back view of a bobcat at camera #2. Photo by Marilyn Krieger

The consequences of urbanization

It’s not news that we make an enormous impact on wildlife in the bay area. Daily, we see the repercussions of urbanization—how roads, highways, construction and poisons take a heavy toll. These are obvious. But we also unintentionally impact the wild animals around us.  Some of the consequences are tragic, but others, such as what camera #2 recorded can be beneficial.

Bobcat ears. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

I’m not sure why or how the large red shipping container was transplanted into the clearing. It was there when we scouted the area for camera locations in January. Although an eye sore, it was handy for navigation—a landmark that helped me find camera #2 in the overgrowth. My guess is that it was owned by PG&E and used for storage. Whoever planted it there did not think about how occupying the middle of a wildlife trail would have repercussions on the local animals. It wasn’t something I thought of until the shipping container wasn’t there anymore.

Missing storage container in front of camera #2. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

It disappeared last week. The only indication that something large had lived there was a rectangular outline in the weeds that was filled with mice and rat poop. Generations of rodents had called the tight space between the ground and the bottom of the container home. It was perfect—warm, dry and safe from predators. While it lasted, the temporary housing had been the ideal place to raise mice pinkies and rat pups.

Rats in front of camera #2. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

Nature and urbanization at work

Hundreds of rodents lost their home on a rainy day in March. Word got out to the local predators that there was an easy feast ready for the picking. Maybe the enticing scent of mice and rats along with the appealing sound of scurrying and squeaks caught their attention.

The bobcats dined on rodents for four consecutive nights and they weren’t the only predators who took advantage of the situation. Coyotes enjoyed the repast as well. One local coyote left his mark on a nearby post as well as on my camera.

It can be hard to predict the impact we have on the wildlife. One small act has consequences—sometimes harmful and other times beneficial. It’s up to us to think through how our activities can influence the environment we live in. Something as small as placing a large container on a wildlife trail subtly changed the ecosystem, providing shelter for hundreds of rodents and gourmet meals for predators.

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