This blog is predominately about camera trapping in California. We camera trap to save our souls and to teach primary school students about biology and conservation. We will also touch on other camera trapping news and musings, sets from afar, mediocre herpetology, sucky birding, and other natural history discussions.
Showing posts with label Lontra canadensis pacifica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lontra canadensis pacifica. Show all posts
Autumn 2017 will be a time etched in the memories of Bay Area residents. The raging inferno across the North Bay and its voluminous smoke trail were a sobering moment of reflection, with a fresh appreciation for time and all that one has, materially and in the community. On a personal level, a little mammal was also welcomed into the world the first week of October and has blown the collective mind at home.
That appreciation of time is truly been a focus personally and when it comes to adventures outdoors, they are primaily in the realm of work with my students. They continue to put in the effort with the river otter study, which has reaped unique results.
New (expected, but never captured) mammals have been present in our sets with glimpses of a coyote and the invasive muskrat.
Several new species of birds have shown up -- some of them the more secretive sort that we don't often see during field visits -- offering opportunities to discuss a variety of organisms and their behaviors.
I think this is the year I finally got the Hutton's Vireo/RC-Kinglet distinction down (sof course, omebody will say this is actually a Hutton's)
After a down year in 2016, the otters have been reliably present and pretty consistently in a pack of 5. The Cinco, as they have been dubbed by my students -- possibly due to slight adjustments in camera placement -- have been on our cameras with a much greater frequency this past autumn and now into winter. During a two week stretch around Thanksgiving we had 29 unique visits - a new benchmark by a hefty margin.
For every success, we must recognize our failures...which will be entirely blamed on raccoons.
Last summer, there were optimistic thoughts for the river otter field studies my students and I were engaged in. Our cameras had been collecting consistent solid videos each period, the students were learning signs of otter in the field and we were observing several critters during our field work, including an epic hunt of a coot.
The new school year rolled around and the pendulum swung back. Cameras malfunctioned, were swallowed up by a rising pond and with new human disturbances, the otters vanished.
Environmental Science curriculum shifted away towards studies of coho salmon and coast redwoods. The responsibilities of Adult Life also intensified and with it, camera traps began to capture nothing but dust and cobwebs.
Late in the school year, a handful of otter reports began to trickle in (PSA: please submit any observations you have to Otter Spotter !) and with the days winding down, I finally mustered up the opportunity for the class to ramble down and check things out with our own eyes.
8 months of disappointment were pushed aside as we were given another hunting performance (unsuccessful) and the scat-splattered trail gave communication that several otters were likely residing.
Cameras were deployed in two new locations, with a homebrew being used for the first time.
Hi.
noble profile w/ bud
A few other critters dropped by to check in:
young grackle being a grackle
this raccoon vibing the return of Twin Peaks
Hopefully these charismatic beasts continue to stick around for next year's students to study.
A quick review of the first six months of this past year's Biology class adventures with Las Gallinas Valley River Otters:
River Otters chasing down waterfowl (image courtesy Frankie Frost/Marin IJ)
Students identified latrine sites
Cameras were placed based on field surveys. The otters emerged and began to appear on camera from April on with a regularity.
Some grooming and general otter spazziness has been observed.
Students were able get a nice glimpse of their swimming patterns.
In addition to the otters, students have been able to get to know other local fauna. One of their favorites, CA kingsnakes, were out frequently this late spring/early summer.
The school year ended July 1st, but I have continued to collect data and craft curriculum this summer for next year's class, which transitions into Environmental Science.
not sure if there is a young one among this bunch
This has been a pretty awesome experience to share with my students and I hope that their appreciation for the natural world and the possibilities for citizen science have grown as a result.
Next "year" is coming up soon and hopefully the adventure continues deeper into the story of the otter!
As mentioned a couple of months ago, my high school Biology classes are taking part of a pilot program with the River Otter Ecology Project, completing data surveys through camera trapping and scat collection.
Several initial disappointing camera checks frequently resulted in many captures of newish local resident, the devil bird:
...Or tremendous growth in shore plants that did offer a meditative atmosphere:
Throughout these trap fails, students were still able to build skills in identifying signs of otters, collect scat that is currently being analyzed at SF State, develop a greater understanding of the local ecosystem and from time to time, see them swimming at a a distance.
In April, with some minor camera adjustments after Spring Break, the students finally captured the local otters:
With a month left in the school year, students will close out this first otter school season with two more weeks of data, then compile a best of video. Exciting times!
