We have been enjoying quite the long, cool, wet spring this year! Even though this is wonderful for the environment, it has delayed the timing of putting the cameras out. Some lower elevations have still been receiving snow just recently. It may be a few more weeks before we can get out to all the expected summer camera locations. We are looking forward to when that happens, so we can start seeing which critters are out there!

​What are we expecting to see once it warms and dries up a bit more? Just like people, many animals change their behaviors during the summer months. The abundance of new growth grasses, plants, and trees in the spring are taken full advantage of by all the herbivores great and small that depend on them. In turn, the predators are out in full force as well, hunting for their next meal. Move cover in the forests makes for great places to hide- on both sides. 

​Finding shade and water to keep cool are critical for many animals on and around the mountain. Regulating body temperature varies by size and species. That thick pelt that kept you warm those long winter nights is now threatening to make you overheated! Some mammals shed prodigious amount of fur each year while others wait out the heat of the day sleeping. In the hot summer months, turkey vultures defecate on their own feet to help cool them off. The extremely high uric content also acts as a leg-sanitizer. 

​For many animals, spring is a busy time for reproduction. Come summer they are busy raising these young and teaching them all they need to know about the great wide world they live in. Learning what to eat and what NOT to eat, exploring and marking territory, and vigilance against dangers are all necessary skills for survival. Coyotes spend a great deal of time passing all this knowledge on to their pups, just like many other carnivores. 

​Black bears forage on a variety of food and will naturally change their eating habits depending on what is available. The bounty of berries, nuts, insects, and small mammals are just some of the goodies they will find. We see bears of all ages on our cameras but summer is when we see the youngest out with their mothers during their first season. Their incredible sense of smell and excellent memories will guide them around the forest to show their cubs where all the tastiest morsels can be found. 

We are eagerly awaiting the Summer Camera Survey Crews, Fox and Wolf Survey members to gather data and report back to us! We look forward to sharing the exciting animal detections and findings from this upcoming summer season. Check back for more blog posts or join us on our other social media for news and updates!

We can't believe it- our winter survey season is all wrapped up! It's been a wonderful season, chock-full of interesting wildlife findings and ​fun times! We want to extend a big thank you to all our amazing volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible! Winter wildlife surveys are hard work- volunteers spent the winter trekking through snow, braving winter weather and Timberline traffic to collect valuable camera and tracking data!

This season trackers completed 14 tracking surveys, and surveyed over 14 miles on Mt.Hood! Our Winter Tracking Survey season ended in March and will resume as the snow returns to the mountain next December. In the meantime, our summer Scat Surveys will take over the search for target species sign and genetic sample collection! 

Camera crews monitored 19 cameras this winter on Mt.Hood and in the surrounding forest. We also had an additional 14 camera sites set up and monitored by dedicated volunteers who shared their data with us, for a total of 33 camera sites this season! Our camera surveys are a year-round operation- some camera sites will remain up through the summer season, but many of our cameras will be relocated to sites better suited for summer wildlife activity. 

The Wolverine Tracking Project has four primary target species- Sierra Nevada red fox, Gray wolf, Pacific marten and the wolverine (of course!). This season we had several target species detected on trail cameras, as well as some target species tracks and scat findings!

The Sierra Nevada red fox was detected at 3 different camera sites this winter! The Sierra Nevada red fox is found in the Sierra Nevadas of California, the northern California Cascade range and the Oregon Cascades. These elusive fox reside in high montane habitats, and have only been detected at elevations above 4,000 ft in Oregon. In Oregon they have typically been detected near or above the tree-line, with a preference for open areas and forest edges. However, there is some evidence that Sierra Nevada red foxes are seasonal migrants and may move further below the tree line during the winter.

This season we detected red fox at cameras between 4,400 ft and 6,300 ft. The majority of the detections were at camera sites close to or above the tree line, however we had one anomalous detection at a camera site located further below the tree line then we have previously documented. 

Sierra Nevada red fox have relatively low populations densities- about 1 per square mile. While the size of the Sierra Nevada red fox population in Oregon is not currently known, based on their low population density and the limited availability of subalpine habitat on Mt.Hood, we can assume that their population is fairly small. 

Sierra Nevada red fox have 3 different color phases- red, silver, and cross. In the red phase, they have a reddish brown upper body, with a white chest and belly. The cross phase looks very similar to the red but with a swath of gray along their back. Silver phase foxes are almost entirely black with silver guard hairs. The distinct white tip of their tail is typically present in all 3 color phases!

This season we had several silver phase fox detections and a single cross phase fox detection. It can be difficult to distinguish silver phase individuals based on trail camera photos, so we can only definitively say that we detected two individual foxes this season. 

Along with the camera detections we also had a few potential fox scat collections! Collecting fox scat is an important component of monitoring the Sierra Nevada red fox populations. We send collected fox scat in for genetic analysis- which can help to identify individuals and determine whether our local Sierra Nevada red fox population continues to be genetically distinct from other montane fox populations in our region.

Our other canine target species, the Gray wolf, was not detected on any trail cameras this season. Cascadia Wild has been documenting Gray wolf presence in the Mount Hood survey region since the White River wolf pack was established in 2018, using camera, tracking and scat surveys. 

The White River wolf pack resides primarily on the Warm Springs Reservation, as well as adjacent public and private land. At the end of 2020 the White River pack was estimated to have expanded to nine wolves, including one breeding pair. However, more recent estimates of the population indicate that the pack is down to three wolves, with no reproduction documented in 2021. 

While we did not capture any Gray wolves on camera this season, a camera crew volunteer did come across some super-sized canine tracks that could potentially be from a wolf! 

With our summer Wolf Scat Surveys resuming soon, we hope to find much more evidence of wolf activity in the coming months!

We had several Pacific marten detections this winter at two upper elevation camera sites. Pacific marten rely upon healthy, high elevation conifer forest habitat for hunting and denning. A thriving Pacific marten population is often considered an indicator that the ecosystem as a whole is doing well. 
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From top to bottom: A Pacific marten scurries across the snow and investigates a tree well; A marten pauses as they make their way through the camera site.

In one case, our camera may have missed the marten but caught the tracks! We didn't pick up any Pacific marten at this site the month that this photo was taken, but the tracks in the photo appear to be marten tracks! We had multiple marten detections at this site in the months that followed!

Our namesake target species, the wolverine, has been extirpated from Oregon since the 1930's as a result of excessive trapping and as a by-product of efforts to exterminate wolves. The recovery of regional wolverine populations is further hampered by habitat loss and fragmentation. 
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While we have yet to have any wolverine detections in our survey region, the re-establishment of wolverines in Mt. Rainier National Park (just across the river!) has us feeling hopeful for the future. 

Animals in the order Carnivora range dramatically in size, diet and behavior. From the big cats all the way down to the slinky weasels, our cameras caught all kinds of carnivores this winter! 

The largest felid in our region, the mountain lion, is rarely seen due to their shy and secretive nature. Our camera surveys detected mountain lions at three camera sites this winter, all in the East Forest survey area. These big cats are fierce predators, and primarily eat deer and elk. It may be no coincidence that sizable deer and elk populations were also documented at these locations!

Mountain lions are territorial animals, with large home ranges of up to 100 miles. They spend the majority of their lives on their own, except when mating or rearing kittens. Mothers will remain with their young for up to two and a half years! This winter we had one detection of two mountain lions traveling together- we are not able to identify whether this duo is a breeding pair or a mother and her kitten but we hope to see more of them in the coming months! 

Another fierce feline predator, the bobcat was detected at 15 camera sites this winter! Bobcats were detected at sites on Mt.Hood and in the East Forest survey region. Bobcats are significantly smaller than mountain lions, and primarily depredate smaller mammals such as snowshoe hare, squirrels, and birds. 

Our cameras caught bobcats on the move, investigating bait, and sneaking around! For the last photo in this series, keep your eyes on the lower left-hand corner!

It would be unusual (but not unheard of!) for a bobcat to attempt to take down an adult deer. In this footage from a volunteer camera, it certainly appears that this bobcat is stalking the browsing deer but we can't know for sure! 

​Coyotes were detected throughout the winter at camera sites across the elevation gradient! Coyote populations are thriving on Mt.Hood, and these crafty canines are drawn to the hormonal and scent based baits we use to attract our target species. We captured lots of footage of coyotes investigating the bait at our camera sites, and in one instance actually running off with the bait box! 

If the coloration of the coyote in the second to last photo above caught your eye- you aren't alone! Melanism is an unusual trait in coyotes and is typically restricted to coyote populations in the Southeast United States. The trait is thought to be the product of past hybridization with wolf populations! 

In addition to our camera detections, volunteers were also able to identify several coyote tracks on group tracking surveys this winter! Coyote tracks were found on five of group tracking surveys that went out! 

Winter is a quiet time for Oregon's black bear population! Although our climate is temperate enough for black bears at lower elevations to remain active year-round, we still don't expect many black bear detections in the coldest months of winter. We had a few black bear detections at lower elevation camera sites from October to November and one surprising December detection! The photo below is our first black bear detection of spring! We look forward to seeing more black bear activity on our trail cameras this summer! 

There are two species of skunks in Oregon, striped skunk and spotted skunk. Skunks are typically less active in the winter months, but even so we managed to detect both species! Striped skunks were detected at 11 camera sites. Skunks are nocturnal, so the majority of skunk detections occurred at night. The photo below is one of the few daytime detections we had- it's a treat to see their beautiful striped coats in the light! 

We had just one camera detection of everyone's favorite backyard bandit this winter! While most people associate raccoons with urban habitats and trash-can diets, these opportunistic critters also reside in the wild and dine on a variety of natural foods including plants, berries, insects, frogs, eggs and more!

Trackers also discovered raccoon tracks on a group tracking survey this winter! Raccoon tracks have a distinct trail pattern- often leaving two footprints next to each other, one big and one small. The photo below doesn't show this pattern exactly, but you can clearly make out four of their five dexterous little toes!

The smallest of the Carnivora order detected by our wildlife surveys this winter was the weasel! There are two species of weasel in our region- the short-tailed weasel and the long-tailed weasel. The main differences between these species are size and tail length, but sexual dimorphism in both species means that there is some overlap in the size of male short-tailed weasels and female long-tailed weasels! This makes it difficult to distinguish between the species in photos- so we just call them weasels!

Ungulates are a diverse clade of hoofed-mammals- such as deer, sheep, giraffes, cattle, hippopotamuses, and more! We have two prominent species of ungulates in our region- deer and elk! In the winter season, deer and elk typically migrate to lower elevations to find food and avoid deep winter snow. 

This winter we detected elk at 8 camera sites, all located in the East Forest. While the majority of elk detections were at sites below 3,000 feet, we did have a few elk detections above that in the late fall. In the winter elk live in herds that most often consist of cows and calves, while bull elk travel alone or in small bachelor herds. We detected elk herds traveling through multiple camera sites this winter, sometimes stopping to stay a while!

Elk scat was discovered by volunteers at camera sites with frequent elk activity, and one lucky volunteer even got to see a herd in the distance as they were heading to their camera! Elk scat was also found on one tracking survey, pictured below. 

Deer have a similar social structure to elk in the winter, although they tend to form smaller groups. This winter we detected deer at all of our East Forest camera sites, and five of the Mt.Hood camera sites. We had one particularly exciting deer detection early in the season, when a buck was seen running through the camera site, pausing briefly before heading out of the frame, closely followed by a coyote! 

Our forests are full of small mammals- many of whom remain active throughout the winter. Small mammals were frequently detected by our trail cameras, despite the fact that they are designed to target larger species! Small mammals were also frequently detected on tracking surveys this winter- particularly hares and squirrels! 

Snowshoe hare were the most common tracks found on group tracking surveys this season- our trackers documented over 90 snowshoe hare tracks! Snowshoe hares were detected at 11 camera sites this season. 

There are several species of squirrels in our region that we see throughout the year, however only a few of them remain active all winter long! Of those, the most frequently detected was the Douglas squirrel. Douglas squirrels were detected at 11 camera sites this winter. Douglas squirrels were detected in both the East Forest survey region and on Mt.Hood. Western gray squirrels were detected at 8 camera sites, but only in the East Forest survey region. This is consistent with those species' habitat ranges- western gray squirrels are primarily found in low-elevation forests while Douglas squirrels inhabit mature, mixed conifer forests across the elevation gradient. Northern flying squirrels also remain active throughout the winter, but were not detected as frequently this winter, potentially because they are nocturnal. We detected Northern flying squirrels at only two camera sites this winter! 

Another common squirrel in our region is the California ground squirrel! These squirrels are inactive throughout the winter in our region, but we still had a few detections in the fall and then again in the spring as they begin to reemerge!

Squirrel tracks and sign were also frequently detected on our winter tracking surveys! Since our tracking transects are focused on the Mt.Hood survey area, it is likely that the majority of these detections can be attributed to Douglas squirrels. Trackers documented a total of 80 squirrel tracks and 36 squirrel sign this winter!

Chipmunks are another species in the family Sciuridae that are generally inactive throughout the winter. We detected chipmunks at four camera sites this season. The detection below, of a chipmunk digging in deep snow, is from this past month- late spring snow storms on the mountain may have taken this chipmunk by surprise! 

Finally, the smallest of the small mammals detected this winter- the mouse! Mice were detected at six camera sites, both on Mt.Hood and in the East Forest survey region. By far our best mouse detection came early in the winter, after a storm knocked down a tree branch in front of one of our trail cameras!

While our surveys are not designed to document bird activity- we still love when we get to see them! Our winter cameras captured some beautiful birds out in the woods but our favorite visit by far was this owl detection from early in the season! In it, an owl is seen on the ground, possibly eating something, and appears to be startled by a buck as they walk by! 

Another cool bird detection from early in the season was this pileated woodpecker. The pileated woodpecker is one of the largest woodpeckers found in Oregon. Although it is hard to make out in this photo- they can usually be identified by their striking red crests.

Birds in the Corvid family are common in the forests and in urban areas in our region! Of the Corvids, ravens are largest! The photo below was shared with us by one of our camera crew volunteers, who spotted this raven on the way to their camera site! We also had volunteers document raven tracks on a group tracking survey after witnessing the raven hopping around in the snow!

Another common Corvid is the Stellar's jay. 

Gray jays, also known as Canada jays, are a common sight for birders on Mt.Hood! This gray jay was just barely caught within the frame of our camera before flying off! 

That's it for our winter wildlife highlights! Thank's again to everyone who made this season so special! Be sure to check back next month for updates from our summer surveys!

Upcoming Classes: 
April 16th, 8:00 AM- 2:00 PM: Bird Language Field Trip
April 21st, 7:00-8:30 PM: Plant Identification (online)
May 5th, 6:00-7:30 PM: Weed Walk
May 7th, 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM:  Sign Tracking 

Here in the Pacific Northwest, springtime usually means rain, rain, rain! But with that rain comes our lush vegetation and gorgeous spring flowers! In the spirit of the season, we headed out to Hoyt Arboretum to document  some of our favorite native plants that are springing to life! Hoyt Arboretum is a beautiful natural area in Forest Park (and accessible by bus!), with 12 miles of hiking trails and home to 2,300 species of trees and shrubs! The arboretum was established to conserve endangered species and educate the community- they have trees from all over the world! 

On our trip, we focused on plants that are native to Oregon- many of these plants are ones that you will find growing in natural areas around Portland, and even in some yards (especially those participating in the Backyard Habitat Certification Program)! If you are looking to dive deeper into learning about Oregon's native plants, join us for our online plant identification class on April 21st!  

Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), a common shrub in low elevation woodlands, is typically the first to flower in the spring! We missed their dainty white flower clusters this season, but Indian Plum is also easily identified by its broadly lance-shaped, pale green deciduous leaves. Fun fact: Indian Plums leaves smell like cucumber when crushed! Try it- you won't be disapointed! 

Another common shrub in Oregon is Salmonberry (Rubus spectabillis), which often forms dense thickets along stream edges and in other moist forested sites from low to subalpine elevations. Salmonberry is easily recognized by its butterfly shaped leaves! Leaves form in groups of 3, as pictured below, and are sharply toothed. The two leaves opposite each other look like the wings of a butterfly. Salmonberry fruit looks a lot like a yellowish orange raspberry. These fruits will typically ripen between May-June, and are edible! Salmonberries are among the earliest berries to ripen in our region and were historically eaten by Indigenous communities along the northwest coast, often with salmon! Salmonberries don't appeal to all tastebuds, but for those who like them, they make a delicious trailside snack! 

Salal (Gaultheria shallon) is abundant in the understory of coniferous forests and along rocky bluffs. Salal's evergreen, leathery leaves don't always stand out- but once you know it, you will see it everywhere! Salal is found in locations ranging from the ocean shore to medium elevation forested habitat. And once Salal begins to flower- you won't want to miss it! It has beautiful white or pinkish urn-shaped flowers that dangle in groups of 5-15 at the end of its branches. Its flowers are followed by dark-blue edible berries, which were an important fruit for many indigenous communities along the Northwest Coast. 

Oregon Grape (Mahonia spp.) is an iconic Pacific Northwest shrub! There are actually four species of Oregon Grape found in Oregon: Tall (Mahonia aquifolium), Dull (Mahonia nervosa), Creeping (Mahonia repens) and Dwarf Western (Mahonia pumila). Of these, Dull and Tall are most commonly found in areas around Portland, though Tall Oregon Grape is typically associated with drier environments while Dull Oregon Grape is more common in second-growth, closed-canopy conifer forests. That being said, we came across mostly Tall Oregon Grape on our trip at the arboretum- which can be distinguished based on it's height, the shininess of its leaves, the singular central vein of it's leaflets and the number of leaflets per leaf. All Oregon Grape species have distinct holly-shaped leaflets and bright yellow flowers (pictured below), which are replaced by small blue berries. 

Thimbleberry, or nature's toilet paper as some folks call it, is an abundant shrub found in open areas- along trails, roadsides, forest clearings and in open forests! The Thimbleberry we came across was just starting to get some leaves in- soon that cluster pictured below will be a dense thicket! Thimbleberry is affectionately referred to as nature's toilet paper due to its large, soft green leaves that can come in handy in a pinch! Soon we will begin to see Thimbleberry's delicate white flowers, followed by delicious red compound fruits mid summer.  

The Pacific Northwest is home to a beautiful variety of ferns- many of which can be found in Forest Park year-round. One of the most abundant of the ferns is Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), aptly named based on the shape of its leaves. Sword Fern is most often found in the understory of moist forested areas. Ferns, unlike many of the other plant species we've been looking at, reproduce via spores! Spores are dispersed via wind and often don't travel very far from the parent plant in closed forests. While spores are microscopic, you can often see the sori (groups of sporangia that contain spores) on the underside of the fern blade. 

Another iconic Oregon native is Western Trillium (Trillium Ovatum)! These beautiful flowers bloom between February and June each year, but please don't pick them! Since Western Trillium grows in low light conditions, it can take between 7-9 years (or more!) for them to produce a flower. As Trillium plants get older, their flowers change from white to a pink or purple hue. So gorgeous, and definitely better left in the forest for everyone to enjoy!

Vanilla-leaf (Achlys triphylla) is a perennial ground cover common in moist shady forests, along streambanks and forest edges. This simple, single stalk plant is easily recognized by its three fan-shaped leaves. When dried, the leaves produce a vanilla-like fragrance- hence the name!

Vanilla-leaf growing alongside Sword Fern and other native understory plants.

Duckfoot (Vancouveria hexandra) is another common groundcover in moist, shady forests. More often called as Northern Inside-out Flower, Duckfoot is a name that refers to the shape of its leaves!

There are a lot of non-native plants at Hoyt Arboretum because it's a living museum of trees! The arboretum has tree and shrub species from all over the globe, including a beautiful trail of Magnolia species. While some Magnolias are native to the eastern United States, none native in Oregon. However, they are highly valued ornamental trees due to their beautiful and fragrant blossoms. 

Not all non-native species are invasive- Magnolias and other non-native trees at the arboretum are able to be safely planted because they are not likely to spread and out-compete native species. Invasive species are typically adaptable, habitat generalists with high reproductive outputs. Invasive species have negative effects on the ecosystem to which they are introduced- outcompeting other species for resources, disrupting food webs, or otherwise degrading the habitat. 

A good example of an invasive plant species that we see a lot of in Oregon is English Ivy (Hedera helix). English Ivy was introduced to the Americas by colonial settlers around the early 1800's as an ornamental garden plant. Now English Ivy can be found in forests throughout the Pacific Northwest, particularly in disturbed forested areas, where is displaces native ground cover and weakens or kills native trees. 

That's all for our native (and invasive) plant expose! We are off to enjoy some sweet spring sunshine while it lasts, and hope you will too! 

P.S. If you are looking for a good PNW plant identification book, we highly recommend Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon! A lot of the information that we shared in this post was adapted from it!