Blog by Erin Hauge
The Preserve was peaceful and quiet in the early morning fog. It’s funny how the thick moisture in the air dampens sound and makes everything feel silent and timeless. We gathered before 7am and headed out to see who moseyed by the cameras during the previous week.
A crew member's car parked at the Preserve in the soupy fog with the moon peekin' through! Erin Hauge
In the Field
We had enough folks for three teams today so it made for fewer cameras on everyone's route and left more time to explore and take in the ethereal beauty of the morning. The first team had several cameras on the Inner route that took them out to an open savannah area ruled by an ancient oak tree standing sentinel. We know they were having fun because they made time for a beautiful photo - crew member, car and wise, old oak tree!
Crew member Mary standing next to her car and a wise, old oak tree in the brightening blanket of fog. Courtesy of Maria Culhane
Our second crew took the Outer route and made sure to stop by and check out our old friend, the low flow dam on the Cosumnes River. There are still lots of wildlife tracks there on the riverbank and the crew reported that the water is receding a bit. If we continue to have dry weather with no rain, we may be able to walk across the low flow again soon and that means wildlife will have that travel route back also, between the old oak forest and the open spaces to the south.
The old log snag on the low flow dam. As the water recedes, we may be able to get across the expanse if we continue to get no rain. We;'ll have to navigate the log as it's expanse covers virtually the breadth of the low flow concrete. Courtesy of Richard Larson
While the crew was out there they took the time to examine tracks on the bank of the river and speculate on what kind of wildlife activity might be going on at the location.
Crew member Rick examining some tracks at the river's edge...in the fog! Courtesy of Richard Larson
The third crew took several cameras on the Inner route and went out to a remote old growth oak forest. We were anxious to check the new position of the scratching post camera that’s out that way and see what kind of wildlife activity we got.
Crew member Emma changing SD cards and checking camera operations. Erin Hauge
One of the things we pay attention to is how different species will show up on different cameras at different times of year. This has been true for the duration of the camera study, begun in 2014. For instance deer use different areas of the Preserve based on the season, available resources, temperature and there may be some motivation for movement from predator activity – coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions.
These deer are paying close attention to activity they hear coming from behind them. The pre-dawn time indicated by the camera's data strip indicates a possibility could be these deer are listening to coyotes calling. Coyotes often sing and vocalize in the pre-dawn hours, shortly before sunrise. If that's the case here, these deer would likely be uncomfortable and wary to hear a pack family vocalizing nearby. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Coyotes are both solitary and pack hunters and when a pack family is moving together, they can take down a deer in a group effort. Coyotes mainly hunt for mice and other rodents, rabbits and other small mammals and birds but they're opportunists. And while deer aren’t bobcats’ main prey, bobcats are known to ambush deer when they’re bedded down and fawns are easy prey as well. Bobcats prefer rabbits, of which we’re seeing quite a few of on the cameras these days. Also lots of squirrels, another tasty morsel for both bobcats and coyotes.
We got some excellent images of bobcats on one of our cameras this week. The images may even indicate that there’s more than one in the area.
Bobcat walking. Notice how he or she blends in so well with the ground and leaf cover colorations in the area. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
As we walked through the oak forest, the fog hung heavy and persisted into mid-morning. It’s hard not to imagine that we might see a velociraptor stroll out onto the roadway, giving us the lizard eye while deciding what to do with us!
Watch for dinosaurs! Erin Hauge
The scratching post had some good activity this week but no mountain lion. Several bucks and a trio of does, along with a raccoon came out of the woods just behind the scratching post and out onto the roadway where the camera is. This tells us what we had suspected – that there are lots of game trails through the woods behind the scratching post and animals are using them.
Three does cautiously enter the roadway from the game trails behind the scratching post. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
A raccoon emerges from the game trails behind the scratching post onto the roadway. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
There was also fresh buck antler scratch on the post but the high ‘cat’ scratches at about 6 feet had not been touched or altered since last week.
The scratching post has seen more antler rub action this past week. Erin Hauge
While we didn’t see any deer, there is clearly lots of deer activity in this area. We saw buck tracks, usually easily discernible in mud and sand during rutting season especially because the hoof splays broadly under the weight of antlers and increased body mass for the competition of the rut.
Big buck on the right with widely splayed hoof. Perhaps a smaller buck on the left, there is a young spike buck seen on the trail camera in this area. Erin Hauge
Since does generally don't weigh as much as bucks, their tracks don't tend to cut as deep into the substrate, especially when the ground is a little harder. We got a great view of a ‘deer highway,’ lots of tracks. It looks like mainly doe activity but we got a buck on this camera as well so we know they’re in the area.
Deer highway! Looks like mostly doe tracks. Their hooves generally imprint more lightly than a heavier buck with antlers and developed body build. Erin Hauge
Next week we'll be out there again and who knows what we'll see? The important thing is to never give up. Looking for lions means watching the Preserve, observing the changes and the wildlife movement, and keeping those cameras firing away!
Mountain Lion 411
While we, the CRP volunteer lion camera project team, know that mountain lions are very elusive and that we’d be extremely fortunate to actually see one on the Preserve, we are always on the lookout for tracks, scat and sign that would indicate possible lion presence. We know mountain lions attempt to disperse using the Central Valley, that historically this has always been their habitat, and that they do pass through from time to time. But timing is everything. Well, almost everything. Remaining vigilant and observant to lion sign is also a big, big part of that everything!
The Mountain Lion Foundation posts an informative article on what to look for when in lion country. And may YOU, dear reader, be fortunate enough to one day find large tracks or maybe a scratch pile, and feel the primordial presence of a mighty apex predator! You might never see him or her, but knowing they're there reaffirms the wild to which we all belong.
“Sign: Evidence of a Lion’s Presence” - http://mountainlion.org/featurearticlesign.asp
View from the Trail
With Spring just around the corner, that means great hiking weather is fast approaching, too! Be sure to put the Cosumnes River Preserve on your list of local 'to do' hikes! Just 20 miles from Sacramento and even closer to Elk Grove, Galt, Lodi, Wilton and Herald, it's practically right here in our own backyard and too great a public resource to miss out on!
Just a few simple guidelines exist, including staying on designated trails and no dogs or other pets allowed because the Preserve is wildlife habitat, meant for native animals to exist and thrive in peace. Even dogs on leash can threaten wildlife through smells and barking. The Preserve has a list of nearby parks and open spaces that are dog-friendly and CRP volunteer naturalists will be happy to share the info!
Plan to bring water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat and your camera and enjoy the beautiful vistas and great photo opportunities! See you on the Preserve!
Solitary hiker passes an old shelter oak. Erin Hauge
Bee butt and willow buds! Erin Hauge
Leave pets at home and enjoy the solitude on the Preserve. You may even see a river otter or a deer on your hike! Erin Hauge
Pack a lunch and feast among the tall oaks out along the riverwalk trail. Erin Hauge
Critter Camera Captures
Bobcat waking away from the camera with white ear markings clearly visible. This may have evolved as a defense so predators would be put off by the striking coloration seemingly peering at them. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Squirrel eyeing the camera. The squirrels and other prey animals have done well this past season and this individual looks well fed. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Beaver on nocturnal walk about. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Coyote seemingly posing for the camera. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Black Phoebe doing a hunt swoop and returning to her perch - our camera! 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.