Erin Hauge
Blog by Erin Hauge
As we headed out to the Preserve before sunrise, we watched the supermoon as it set over the Coast Ranges just around 7:00AM at the beginning of our camera checks.
The last supermoon of 2017 setting over the Coast Ranges! Erin Hauge
A supermoon is when the full moon is in its closest orbit to Earth, or perigee. This makes the moon appear a whole lot bigger than we normally see it – up to 14% bigger and up to 30% brighter as well. Known as the ‘Full Cold Moon,’ this is the last supermoon we’ll see in 2017. The moon was totally full at 7:47AM PST on our check day, Sunday, December 3. It’s hard not to feel a connection with the Earth and it’s rhythms as we watched this giant, shining moon slide down behind the Coast Ranges.
Where are the mountain lions and the other wild creatures and what are they thinking about this larger-than-usual, bright orb as it glides across the sky, sinking below the horizon just before the dawn of another day of looking for food and mates and defending territory?
In the Field
No two ways about it – the roads were wet. We started out in the chill of the morning and the fog had just lifted as we drove out, wondering how far we might get before we were walking! We got out to the first camera deployment area and the car tires were caked in mud. We knew we’d drive no further for the more remote camera that lies a 30 minute walk beyond the equipment pad area. We parked, loaded up and headed out. The walk is a beautiful one, along a slough that’s rising as the rainfall increases. Fall colors are everywhere and fresh green is sprouting from all the recent rain and moisture. The roadway is hard-packed, meaning it’s difficult to pick out tracks and animal marks.
We saw deer tracks, lightly imprinted on the hard, muddy surface. We saw what were likely skunk digs in the mud. Skunks will dig into the substrate for grubs and other food that they detect below the surface. Last week as we were deploying some additional cameras we found a skunk hole about eight inches deep! It’s likely there was something particularly appealing that caused the skunk to expend that much energy and we can only hope that he or she was rewarded with something to eat! You can see a skunk track on the side of the dig, in the red box in the photo below.
A deep dig likely made by a skunk. Coyotes will dig also, for voles, mice, gophers and other insects and animals detected just below the surface. You can see a skunk track in the red box above. Erin Hauge
We walked out to the camera in the quiet dampness of the morning and soon we saw a doe peering out at us from across the slough. She quietly observed and pulled into the dense overgrowth of the opposite side as she noticed us observing her from our side, too. Next we saw a raccoon family up ahead on the slough road where we were walking. They moved quickly away from us and at one point the mom stopped and stood on her hind legs to check us out as her babies – 2 kits – stuck close to her for safety and guidance. This may be the family that's been on this trail camera with 3 kits and lately there have been only two. The mom also has an injured right eye.
Mom raccoon with her kits, observing us as we came walking down the road. Erin Hauge
The next thing we knew, the family was swimming across the slough! The mom made it over and hung by the bank as she watched for her babies to get across. She was watching for the second youngster who remained on our side of the bank – perhaps a kiddo who’d rather not have gotten wet on that chilly morning! – so we waited and it wasn’t long before we saw the last kit swimming across and finding footing on the low-hanging branches and vegetation that overhung the opposite side of the slough. The family silently disappeared into the oak forest and away to continue on with their day.
Mom was watching out for her last kit to swim across the slough. It took the youngster several minutes before he or she committed to swimming the cold expanse to get to Mom. Erin Hauge
Here I come, Mom! Seemingly a bit reluctant in the chill of the morning but this youngster gamely made it across the slough to rejoin Mom and sibling. Erin Hauge
The water was higher at this camera, indicating that plans we have to expand our camera deployment east into the dense tall oak forest there will have to wait until spring.
Walking back along the slough, we spotted a tree that has both old and fresh buck antler rub. Trees that are used by bucks will try to heal themselves by working to grow bark back over the scar area that’s been made bare by the buck’s steady rubbing.
Bucks rub their antlers to leave scent in their territory and it’s also thought that rubbing may bring relief as they shed antler velvet, in preparation for dropping their entire antler rack over the winter. Bucks will sprout new antlers in the spring and the whole process will begin again.
In the photo below, the rub at the top left has begun to heal over. As the tree grows, the old rub goes out of reach and bucks begin new rubs at the base of the tree.
Crew members Diana and Broxton point out the fresh buck rub on this young oak tree. The one higher and to the left is out of reach now and trying to heal over with bark growth. On the very upper left is a wood duck box! Wood ducks nest in tree cavities and the Preserve helps promote wood duck populations here by providing these nesting boxes, tended by volunteer naturalists. Ducklings will hatch and within 24 hours or so, leap from the box, intrepidly bouncing to the soft forest duff below, and then head directly towards Mom, who is usually stationed nearby and softly encouraging the ducklings to head right over to the water. Erin Hauge
As we moved to the next camera we walked across a slough where the pump is pushing water into the north pond area and beginning to flood more agricultural fields. The Bureau of Land Management carefully times the flooding of the fields on the Preserve so that there are always some good, flooded up pond areas with rich food resources for migratory waterfowl, cranes and migratory shorebirds throughout the winter. It’s a fine balance between what species arrives when and having food resources available for them when they get here.
One of the fields, disced and beginning the flood up for the migratory birds who winter on the Preserve. Soon there will be lots of organic matter, aquatic invertebrates and other food for the birds to forage. Erin Hauge
As we walked, we disturbed a flock of sandhill cranes. Our goal is to always be off the remote pond areas of the Preserve by 10:00AM so cranes and other migratory birds are free to loaf and forage without disturbance. We came across this flock around 8:30AM and were sorry to disturb them. We think we ran across them later on our route, farther out afield where we drove by and, while they kept their eyes on us, they didn't seem too disturbed as we passed.
Cranes going air borne as we walked by them along the levee road towards the next camera. We try to avoid disturbing any cranes as we perform camera checks so they don't have to expend extra energy. Erin Hauge
We found some interesting tracks in the mud as we walked out to the next camera, possibly bobcat. The track was a bit distorted and splayed in the soft mud along the road. Soft mud can even make tracks look bigger than they actually are. It can depend on how fast the animal is moving and it's age - how much it weighs. There is no telltale 'X' in the track between the toes and the rear pad so that would indicate this one could be feline. The track also looks pretty round, so again, more feline. Coyote tracks would be more tight and oval in shape. But in soft mud like this tracks can become so splayed and distorted that it may not be easy to tell who made them.
Looks like a bobcat track in the soft mud along the road towards one of the cameras. Erin Hauge
As we were walking back to the car, we saw otters swimming in the south slough! We might have interrupted their travels as they were attempting to use the well-used otter slide across the levee to get to the north pond area there. We watched them and they watched us for several minutes and then we moved on, thinking they’d probably made their crossing to the north pond as soon as they were sure we were gone!
North American river otters in the slough. They watched us and we watched them! Erin Hauge
We didn’t see lions on the cameras today. The low-flow dam over the Cosumnes River is exposed once again but who can say for how long. The next rain will bring more water flow down from the foothills and wildlife will have to adjust their travel accordingly. We’ll be out in the field, watching for wildlife movement and for the mountain lions we know are moving across the landscape.
Low flow dam on the Cosumnes River this week. Wet but still passable so far! Photo Courtesy of Richard Larson
Mountain Lion 411
The Secret Life of Mountain Lions - If you haven’t seen this short 6-minute video yet, don’t miss it! Panthera's Teton Cougar Project gives us a beautiful and inspiring look at how mountain lions live. We can’t imagine the challenges they face and what they go through to survive in the wild. Thanks to the research of Panthera and others, we are beginning to learn about the strength of mountain lion family bonds and how social interdependence plays a key role in mountain lion survival. These discoveries belie the myth that mountain lions are solitary creatures. There’s still a lot to learn and understand about these intelligent and secretive animals - North America’s largest native cat, the mountain lion. View the video here: https://vimeo.com/157288534
Meet the Crew
Our amazing crew is out in the field looking for mountain lions and other wildlife rain or shine!
Meet Richard Larson, CRP Volunteer Naturalist, Citizen Scientist and Amateur Photographer
Crew member Richard Larson
We asked Richard What do you like best about being on the mountain lion camera crew?
"I really think this is a fantastic privilege to be a part of the study team. I enjoy learning what the other team members have to offer and being able to share my knowledge of wildlife with the team."
Critter Camera Captures
Bobcat being watchful of something off -camera to the left. Photo Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Tom turkey in full display for his harem! Photo Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Buck selfie! Photo Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Two bucks squaring off in the early evening. Photo Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Coyote noticing the camera firing in the daytime. Photo Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Erin Hauge has been a volunteer naturalist at the Cosumnes River Preserve since 2014. She enjoys staffing the Visitor Center and interacting with the many visitors who stop at the Preserve to learn about the area and take in its quiet waterways, scenic landscapes and accessible hiking trails. She joined the Mountain Lion Camera Project in 2014, then under the direction of the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. In 2015, the project went to all volunteer capacity. Erin became the team leader, and currently directs a committed and exceptional crew on the continuing mission to capture a mountain lion on a Preserve trail camera with valuable oversight and support from the Bureau of Land Management. Erin is a Certified California Naturalist and is currently earning certification as a Field Ecologist.
Resources:
https://www.space.com/34515-supermoon-guide.html