Cascadia Wild

  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Equity Statement
    • Land Acknowledgment
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Annual Report
    • Contact
    • Covid-19 Response
  • Wolverine Tracking Project
    • About the WTP >
      • About the WTP
      • WTP Findings
    • Camera Surveys
    • Scat Surveys >
      • About Scat Surveys
      • Fox Scat Survey
      • Wolf Scat Survey
    • Winter Tracking >
      • Winter Tracking Surveys
      • Tracking Apprenticeship
      • Be a Tracking Leader
    • Internship
  • Classes
    • About our Classes
    • Botany Classes
    • Naturalist Training Program
    • Outdoor Survival Skills Classes
    • Tracking Classes
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join the WTP
    • Community Clubs
    • Join the Board
    • Calendar
    • Join our Mailing List
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Equity Statement
    • Land Acknowledgment
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Annual Report
    • Contact
    • Covid-19 Response
  • Wolverine Tracking Project
    • About the WTP >
      • About the WTP
      • WTP Findings
    • Camera Surveys
    • Scat Surveys >
      • About Scat Surveys
      • Fox Scat Survey
      • Wolf Scat Survey
    • Winter Tracking >
      • Winter Tracking Surveys
      • Tracking Apprenticeship
      • Be a Tracking Leader
    • Internship
  • Classes
    • About our Classes
    • Botany Classes
    • Naturalist Training Program
    • Outdoor Survival Skills Classes
    • Tracking Classes
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join the WTP
    • Community Clubs
    • Join the Board
    • Calendar
    • Join our Mailing List
  • Blog
  • Shop

Cascadia Wildlife Blog

News from the Wolverine Tracking Project and more

Summer Surveys Abound!

7/19/2019

0 Comments

 
Summer is in full swing!
While that may mean staying up late under the stars, taking dips in glacial waters, and counting the hours spent outside in mosquito bites, at Cascadia Wild it also means hauling off to the woods to check on camera sites and combing trails for signs of Sierra Nevada red fox and gray wolf.

These wildlife surveys bring back valuable data, and in the past month alone we have collected over 8,000 viable photos, five wolf scat samples, one red fox scat sample, and, with our twenty or so new volunteers for the red fox scat survey, we are looking forward to more red fox samples, too!


You may have heard the big news last week about six new wolf pups in the White River Pack! This video, captured by biologists of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, is worth a watch with the sound ON. We hope the best for the newest members of this pack, and we are keeping an eye out for them! It's only a matter of time and luck before some of them disembark to find new territory of their own. We are very interested in how their presence will shape the ecosystem of wherever they choose to call home, and, should they come our way, the information collected from our wildlife surveys will help us understand that.

It bears repeating: All this work is made possible by the support of our community – whether you are a survey volunteer, member, have taken courses with us, or have offered financial or material support, your presence is invaluable. Together, we are deepening our understanding of the forest. Thank you!

And now, the camera highlights!
All our cameras are up, and we’ve gotten footage back from all but one. Since our first photos of the season, we’ve seen more elk, deer, coyote, black bear, and of course, ​squirrels. We also have our first summer sightings of turkeys, skunk, cougar, and bobcats!
Picture
This cougar, like other animals captured at this site, is seen using a game trail. Though cougar sightings have been increasing in frequency in our area (for a lot of complex reasons), running into these animals is still rare, and this is so far our first time seeing one this summer.
Picture
Bobcats can be elusive as well, but two of our cameras picked up their presence. This one at one of our Timberline sites spent a lot of time inspecting the scent bait.
Picture
...while this bobcat posed only briefly for us at another site.
Picture
Black bears are a much more common sight, like this cinnamon or even blond black bear. Did you know that the lighter coloring is more common to western black bears? It's thought to be an adaptation to provide better camouflage in our abundant, sunny meadows and valleys.
Picture
This black bear is using the same game trail that was used by the cougar above.
Picture
Though we don't often use meat bait in the summer, this healthy black bear was very interested in the meat bait posted here!
Picture
Our favorite mama bear and her star-chested cub of the year (coy) returned...
Picture
...followed by what appears to be a male bear, scent-marking near our bait tree. Usually, sows will avoid an area if there is a male bear around, since males tend to target others' offspring to maintain their genetic primacy. It will be interesting to see whether that is the case this time.
Picture
Coyotes are perennial! This coyote, unlike the bear above, was cautiously curious about the meat-bait and approached it several times.
Picture
Some good news for our mountain predators and an indication of a mature forest, is turkey! This ground bird can be a tasty meal and are an indicator of a healthy, mature forest. Turkey usually travel in flocks, so hopefully there are plenty nearby.
Picture
Most of our footage so far is of deer, which is more good news for our mountain predators. This buck near Timberline was out way past his bedtime, however, and deer at night can indicate that their environment is relatively safe from predators, so it will be interesting to see what else this site finds over the summer.
Picture
It's a great time of year for fawn sightings, too, like this pair.
Picture
If you're planning on being out at night, keep an eye out for this nocturnal critter! Striped skunks like this one may get a bad rap, thanks to their odorous nature, but they are highly adaptable omnivores and can be important for insect control. They have been known to eat wasps and even venomous snakes! It's not surprising that while they are now classified in their own family as Mephitidae (skunk and stinking badgers), they were long classified in the family Mustelidae, along with wolverines, weasels, martins, and their other similar, feisty counterparts.
That's all for now, and we're looking forward to seeing what the next few weeks bring in!
​Until next time: t
ake care, and thanks for being a part of our community!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    2018
    2018+19
    2019
    2019 20
    2020
    2020 21
    2021
    2022
    2022-23
    Bats
    Birds
    Black Bear
    Bobcat
    Buck
    Camera Survey
    Canine Interactions
    Chipmunk
    Classes
    Coyote
    Deer
    Elk
    Grouse
    Hare
    Horse
    Marmot
    Marten
    Mink
    Mountain Lion
    Mouse
    Owl
    Raccoon
    Raven
    Red Tailed Hawk
    River Otter
    Sandhill Crane
    Scat Survey
    Sierra Nevada Red Fox
    Skunk
    Squirrel
    Summer Wildlife Surveys
    Turkey
    Turkey Vulture
    Weasel
    Wildlife Identification
    Winter Tracking
    Winter Wildlife Surveys
    Wolf
    Wolverine Tracking Project
    Woodrat

    Past Posts

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    December 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013

Volunteer Login:
Camera Crew
Fox Team
Wolf Team

Tracking Team​
​5431 NE 20th Ave Portland OR 97211
info@cascadiawild.org
503-235-9533
Picture
Copyright © 2021