Bittern Sweet

On a trip last week to the Yuba Pass for the Codger's cam trap workshop, the guys from CTC and I dropped in on Marble Hot Springs Road to see what birds might be about.

And, while it was a bit late in the season - the Yellow-headed Blackbirds were gone, and the Sandhill Cranes and White-faced Ibis scarce - a bold American Bittern gave us quite a show as it went about its daily duties a mere 25 feet away...


American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus, hunting at Marble Hot Springs Road


Bittern sees something...


The freeze - waiting for the perfect moment...


Sploosh!


Bittern spears a metamorphing bullfrog that still has its tail


Now to get the struggling frog off of its bill without losing it...


While also getting rid of the pond weed...


Almost there...


Bye, bye bullfrog


Gulp


Bittern happy face after eating the tasty bullfrog


Uh oh - Bittern sees something else...


Targeting...


A giant water beetle - yum!


And off to the next course...

On the far shore, a well-hidden bystander also watched the Bittern - and us.

Glad JK's sharp eyes spotted it.


Wilson's Snipe, Gallinago delicata, frozen on the opposite bank

Fortunately for the Wilson's, none of us had our snipe huntin' bags. Just cameras.

=====
References:

• Wikipedia - American Bittern
• Wikipedia - Wilson's Snipe
• Wikipedia - Snipe hunt

==========

At the Stag Party

The spooky swine aren't the only introduced species to stop by my Tehachapi cam traps.

Elk have sniffed their way through too.

And not Tule Elk, Cervus canadensis nannodes, like I see on the rolling grasslands of the Chimineas Ranch in San Luis Obispo County. Nor Roosevelt Elk, Cervus canadensis roosevelti, the subspecies in the coastal ranges of northwest CA. But, instead, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cervus canadensis nelsoni, a subspecies (or race, if you prefer) from the actual Rocky Mountains, that probably would not traditionally have been found in southern California.

Which means, as I'm sure you can guess, there's a storied history to their "re-introduction."

In 1966, under a CDFG permit, 290 Rocky Mountain Elk were relocated from Yellowstone National Park to a too-small private game ranch in Kern County. Well, this ranch, like most, had a few fence issues, and today about 200 RME roam the Tehachapis.

But, whichever subspecies, it's cool to see a mammal that once covered the state in numbers as high as 500,000 (which, for reference, is the current estimated number of deer in CA).

In this case, 3 shaggy bulls - one a juvenile - stopped by the scent marking rock in late spring for a snort of the local eau d' wildlife...









You'll notice that the juvenile still has polished antlers from last year, while the older stags have dropped theirs and are growing new ones for this season's rut-off.

As I learned from the ungulate-wise Codger, it's not uncommon for yearlings and young bulls to cast their antlers later than the old stags.

Nor is the following wanna-be-the-bully brandishing behavior of the same upstart, while his antlers are pointy and the big boy's are soft. Classic delusions of grandeur, says the Codge.









9 days later, and with a bit of snow on the ground (and lens), a couple of even bigger fellers happened along...







Rocky Mountain freshness roaming in California.

Hopefully without the bitter aftertaste.

====
References:

• Jameson & Peeters - Mammals of California
• California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) - Tule Elk Range & Distribution
• California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) - History of the Tejon Elk
• Wikipedia - Elk
• Wikipedia - Tule Elk
• Wikipedia - Roosevelt Elk
• Wikipedia - Rocky Mountain Elk
• LA Times - Rocky Mountain Elk Make Tracks to California 
• Nature of a Man (this blog) - The Swine Parade
• Nature of a Man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Tehachapis

==========

Wile E. Says Wha???

On a dry hillside in the pinyon pines of the eastern Sierra, where red bluffs reign, and coyotes howl every night - one of those song dogs recently gave the cam trap a very amusing look.

A look that brings to mind that much-loved character of the west - Wile E. Coyote.


"That's Wile E. Coyote - Supra-Genius. Seen any roadrunners?"

And while no roadrunners went by the camera (I double-checked), a few small deer did. Perhaps even small enough for the crafty Wile E. - if he finds a friend.


Lady deer that better watch out - I saw an ACME delivery truck around

A bobcat also did the downhill slink:


Bobcat huntin' through

Likely hoping to catch one of the many squirrels and chips that patrol the area for pinyon and jeffrey seeds. At 25ish lbs, western bobcats are generally too small to take deer or even fawns.


Golden-mantled ground squirrel - a new species for the survey area (but not a surprise)


Least chipmunk - mouse size and well colored for the habitat

Still no porcupine, though.

Perhaps they're no longer in the area, and all the chew marks on the pinyon pines are old. Or, maybe they're ghost-ninja porcupines that move faster than my cams can take photos. Or... somewhere in-between.

Damn uncooperative spiny rodents.

Happy coyote Friday!

====
References:

• Nature of a man (this blog - Who Chews?
• Nature of a man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Mono Basin
• Wikipedia - Wile E. Coyote

==========

Bob's Secret Grotto

Time for another installment of the Bobcat Diaries...

(but then, when isn't it?)

On the east side of the Sierra Nevada, in the Mono Basin, is a small canyon where a creek begins.


Spur canyon at 7,000 feet on east side of Sierra Nevada


Seeps feed the head of a creek in the canyon

While walking along the creek, checking out the seeps that feed it, I noticed two large boulders that had tumbled down from the rim, and formed a bit of a grotto over the creek.


Looking down the slope into the grotto under the boulders

A grotto that was fully shaded, and more than big enough for me to squat down inside.

And thus set a camera trap.


Sitting in the grotto, looking out the main entrance

 
Looking left (with cam trap) and right in boulder grotto

Overall, 9 species were photographed visiting the grotto - 3 birds, 5 mammals, and a herp.

Or, from the bobcat's point of view - 1 predator (Bob), and 8 possible snacks.

You see, much like house cats, bobcats are versatile carnivores that will eat pretty much any small critter they can catch, including rabbits, snakes, lizards, birds, mice, rats, squirrels, voles, chipmunks, gophers, fish, frogs... and maybe even a cricket, or moth or two.


An American robin was the first to the scene


But the bushy-tailed woodrat visited the most times


Silvery Bob sauntered in for the first visit at 6:00pm sharp


And casually smelled the rocks and checked the scene before taking a drink








Silvery Bob taking a drink


A western scrub jay also dropped in for a sip


As did a California ground squirrel


A deer mouse came through (below rock on left side of photo)


And a sparrow bathed twice


Bats flew through too - probably hunting insects

Silvery Bob wasn't the only Lynx rufus to use the grotto, though. This more-orange bobcat came in for a sip at the stream as well...


Different bobcat comes in - more orange, different markings





Silvery Bob returned 6 days later for a check in...


Silvery Bob coming back to the grotto for another visit




Western fence lizard - sometimes they can hold just enough heat to trigger the camera

As a result of their dietary versatility, bobcats help balance the populations of a broad range of small animals, including species that can become pests when too abundant, such as ground squirrels, gophers and voles.

And, you don't have to clean up after them.

====
References:

• Wikipedia - Bobcat
• Nature of a man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Mono Basin

==========