Trail Cam in May

As we left for the end of Session 9 we grabbed the card from the trail cam an headed home to see if we captured anything of interest. One of the few daytime shots was one of the numerous Raccoons.



However, most of the action happens at night. Mammals come out in search of prey. They are always a mix, like this Coyote we have captured a shot of a few times already. We knew it was around because of scat findings and it is nice to have actual documentation.



Opossum are a little harder to catch as they sprint through the site lines of the camera. It could be a potential food item for that Coyote seen earlier in the night.



We are always excited to see our Bobcat wandering by on its jaunts around the property.



The strangest capture of the month was something more common. A domestic House Cat. What? Could be a feral stray or a pet of the neighbors just over the fence.



We also had a couple of backs of humans that shouldn't be there. Definitely not rangers, but someone who made it over to this side. We will let the camera 'soak' for June and see what strolls by during the month while we are away.
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 6th.
All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Trail Cam

Nick has kindly donated a trail cam to the banding station. Many of us pay attention to signs of wildlife, especially paw prints and scat. We know that their are Bobcats in the area and have assumed that scat in one area is from one. The cam was placed just across from the main "restroom" and we let the cam do its job for the past week.



When one is setting a cam, one often becomes the first critter recorded...



The wind triggered some shots during the daytime but the best action was captured at night. The smallest animal we got a shot of was an Armadillo digging along the grass.



Raccoons were the most photographed. They have been busily digging out turtle eggs along the net lanes.



Opossums are often heard crashing through the underbrush when we are setting nets but you still don't see them often.



The first real surprise was a Coyote slinking up the lanes. We did find some Coyote scat, which usually contains fur, last Sunday nearby.



The biggest surprise of all was captured early in the week. A Black Bear! The ones that use to call Lake Lotus home were trapped and taken to the Ocala National Forest a couple of years ago. Compare the height to the Coyote above. That is one big bear!



The SD card was placed back in the cam Sunday. Can't wait to see what walks by this week.
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 30th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.