Back on the mountain, Part 7

Only one bobcat showed itself during the two months of our second session of camera trapping at the Cleary Reserve. This was the only picture, and it was the wrong side of the cat to compare with the earlier animal.

I suspect it stopped to sniff the scat between its hindlegs, which gave the camera enough time to power up and take the picture -- about 4-5 seconds.

Offended pool coons

The coons were back last night, and they encountered the cameras in new positions. For some reason this camera managed to offend the two kids.

What you see is a common mammalian threat display -- piloerection. They're all puffed up, they've arched their backs, and one is standing on its tippy toes trying to look bigger.

Real scary. If that camera could burp, they'd be falling over one another trying to get away.



Finally they backed down, and joined mom.



She showed them how to find hornet nests under the deck, but they were still a little spooky and acting tough.

Return of the pool coon

The pool coon was back with her two kids last night. The cameras started flashing at 11:00PM and ended this morning at 5:10. I missed the action, but not the redhead, whose awakening words were: "You got a lot of pictures last night".

Three cams were ready for the action. The three coons made 8 visits and left 67 images.



The pool intake is a big attraction. That's where the floating leaves and insects accumulate.




She's teaching them well,



and they act like they own the place.

Pool coon

The redhead awakened me at 5:30 yesterday to announce the visitors. There in the smoke was one big and two little raccoons peering intently into the swimming pool. (Whur's the fish?)

I set a camera last night , and shortly after sunset the redhead called from the living room saying the camera just flashed.

I switched on the outside lights, and there she was -- Ma Coon staring suspiciously at the camera across the pool. Obviously, this was her first experience with the electronic flash.

What you see above is the best I can offer -- "raccoon pondering the deep waters". I am afraid the poolside menu offers only backswimmers and soggy insects. Unfortunately, the kids were a little bashful -- no pics of them. My firefighting equipment (pump and hoses) is in the background.

(Hey! Calfire lifted the evacuation orders today, and I also finished the camera trapping manual.)

Back on the mountain, Part 6

A family of gray foxes gave us pictures at several cameras on the mountain.

The fellow cocking his leg above is probably the father, and below he is with his mate. I can't tell them apart. The one in the foreground is rubbing its neck on leaves of catmint.



Here is one of the parents with a pup (I think). Sniffing lips. The youngster looks to be about two thirds adult size.



And here are two pups resting on the same log. The coat has adult colors (washed out by the flash), but it's still a bit fluffy. The short muzzle gives them the puppy look.

Back on the Mountain, Part 5

Rich and I met on the mountain the day before the 4th of July. There was no time for an overnighter, so we hit the trail a little before noon, and finished at 6:00.

The cams had been out for 2 months, and I was sure the batteries would be dead, but the auxiliary D cells were still going, though barely.

We collected the cams, so I would have some extras for the workshop, and replaced them with Rich's new cams.

The trail-scat set seen here is the most productive location. There were 144 exposures, and the puma was one of the new species. There were only two exposures, but both were full body images. The scat gets their attention long enough for the camera to power up and snap a picture -- about 3-4 seconds.



I'll post a few other shots of interest in the next few days.

The distraction of fire

You're damn right the codger's been quiet. The Humbolt fire, which started on June 11 was too close for comfort and a lot of good people lost their homes. We packed our bags the first day, and then sat around listening to the radio. The fire started on Doe Mill Ridge as seen above from our place. It crossed Butte Creek Canyon, climbed the next ridge, and swept through lower Paradise, the next town down the slope from us.

Hale and rain arrived 10 days later, but not enough to have an effect. Instead, a spot fire broke out under a power line about a mile away from home, and this is what we saw.



A spotter plane and a tanker showed up that afternoon, and 6 dumps of retardant put it out.

Bearing witness is a helpless feeling, and a lot of strange and foreboding thoughts flash through the mind, but your esteem of firefighters soars.

By Sunday the 22nd, it was time to get away. There was no call for evacuation in our neighborhood, it was just that the redhead was fretting so much. We drove 125 miles to the Sierra Nevada Field Campus to meet Jim Steele and put out some camera traps.

We passed a new fire that had just started in the lower Feather River Canyon, and just beyond Quincy we saw this. No, those are not clouds.



SF State's field campus was well beyond the lightning strikes. It was a lovely afternoon, and we set four camera traps.



I couldn't resist placing two in an alder thicket.



The signs of mountain beaver were everywhere.

One good thing has come out of the smoke and fire. I've been housebound and busy hammering out a camera trapping manual for the workshop in a couple weeks.