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Native Californian, biologist, wildlife conservation consultant, retired Smithsonian scientist, father of two daughters, grandfather of 4 small primates. INTJ. Believes nature is infinitely more interesting than shopping malls. Born 100 years too late.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Back on the mountain -- part 3



This is NOT where I had aimed the third camera.

This camera was attached to a short length of steel fence post, aimed at a gap in a large fir that had fallen across the trail. I'm afraid I had set the camera a little too low. I was trying to cover as much foreground as possible.

Something had pulled it down. It was undamaged and pointed at the ground. Since then the camera had taken 31 pictures of hot air puffs on the ground.

We checked the pictures.

The first travelers were a skunk and a wood rat, but . . .



on the third day a bear ambled by at 9:20 in the morning. It was about to pass through the gap when it noticed the camera.



It turned around, approached it, and then went away.



Two nights later the bear was back, and the camera took three closeups.



Then the bear pulled the camera over.

I told Rich we were lucky. It only pushed the camera down. The bear guard had worked.

(2 cameras to go. Coming soon: "Back on the mountain -- part 4")

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