Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road


Glimpses of Our Wild Neighbors

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Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.

~John Muir

I keep telling myself I’ll do a blog about something other than our trail camera findings, but then I check the cameras and see more cool stuff. So, here’s another one with some quick glimpses into the lives of the critters in our woods.

–It seems we may have too many deer in our woods as scenes like this are fairly common. It is no wonder the understory is so sparse.

Many species are attracted to the creek after heavy rains. This pool is a gathering spot for Raccoons, Coyotes, and White-tailed Deer. But here is a reason for not drinking creek water…

–Interesting to see so many deer decided to pee in the pool. I guess that may be a common trait in many mammals:)

We are getting into the peak of the mating season for our local deer and the big bucks are constantly patrolling looking for receptive females.

–A nice buck walks by the camera

–About three minutes later an almost identical large buck goes by the same spot

–A doe lays down in front of the camera on our south slope

–The doe enjoys a 20-minute rest but then something startles her and she takes off after giving an alarm snort…it’s a pesky buck chasing after her

There were also the usual quick glimpses of our Coyote clan plus these two uncommon visitors which I have slowed down so you can see them a bit better. The cameras have a slight delay from the time movement triggers them to when they start recording so they often capture something that is already almost out of the field of view.

–This Gray Fox came through about 9 a.m one morning. Always love seeing foxes here and over the years we have had both Red and Gray Foxes recorded on camera. But, the presence of Coyotes is a deterrent to other canids.

–A real highlight anytime we see one on camera – a Bobcat. Though they are more common in the forests of the mountains and coastal plain, Bobcats do occur statewide.

Comments

6 responses to “Glimpses of Our Wild Neighbors”

  1. Elise Avatar
    Elise

    No apologies needed for sharing your trail camera clips vs others. With so much urban environment here, it’s possibly more valuable to be made aware of our local animal world than that of the “outside” world. Thank you so much for your continued efforts to educate and nurture our compassion for the living world.

  2. roadsendnaturalist Avatar

    As always, I appreciate your thoughtful comments, Elise. I worry that with all the development planned for this area of Chatham County in the coming years, there will be many fewer areas for these wild things to roam. Than goodness for our 880 acre wooded “development” and the protected lands around Jordan Lake and the Haw River.

  3. kathystanforde7bcac4e80 Avatar
    kathystanforde7bcac4e80

    Wow, a BOBCAT!!

    >

  4. kathystanforde7bcac4e80 Avatar
    kathystanforde7bcac4e80

    Wow, a BOBCAT!!

    >

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Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

Copyright Mike Dunn and Melissa Dowland