Tag: wildlife conservation

Where are the Wild Animals?

Comparison of off leash dogs 2019-2021

Not too long ago the trails in the little canyon in San Mateo County, California were rich with a wide diversity of wild animals including animal species that are designated as California Species of Concern*. Until recently, the trail cameras filmed lots of animal action—a large number used to patrol, mark and play on and […]

A Snapshot of Wildlife in the Canyon: Fall of 2020

Two bucks fighting

My favorite canyon is only 90 acres in size; it’s surrounded by buildings, roads and all the trappings of urbanization. Despite its tiny size and suburban location, it is rich with many species of wild animals and native plants—it is a complex, working eco-system where all the players are interconnected. Three trail cameras faithfully document […]

Featured Videos of the Month: June, a Visual Essay

Mountain lion on the trail

June was a visually exciting month on the trail. A mountain lion visited a week ago—he stayed for a couple of days before moving on. There’s a new bobcat on the trail he sports a beautiful dark coat. And, our resident coyote, 09M, continues to make his mark. Mountain lion A male mountain lion visited […]

Bobcats and Feral Cats on Patrol

“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 […]

Dusky-Footed Woodrats Help Save a Canyon

Woodrat homes are elaborate with multiple stories and an abundance of rooms that include resting chambers, nurseries and pantries.

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 […]