Summer continues to be mild on Sonoma Mountain, with only a few days so
far of above average temperature. Much of the world is
suffering through a historically hot and smoky summer, and we expect the
larger trends will overtake us eventually.
This American robin, in a classic pose with a worm, is the first robin we have photographed.
Bobcats! While no mountain lions were seen this month, bobcats were
frequently seen (probably not a coincidence!).
Here are two photos of a female bobcat near the creek (carrying rodent
prey in the second, nocturnal shot).
Then a photo and video of a male bobcat on the hillside forest trail in
late afternoon light.
Smaller mammals are prevalent, especially at night. Here is a gray fox
and a raccoon, followed by a video of a raccoon and skunk
captured by the same creekside camera on different nights.
Our observation of scat suggests both fox and raccoon feast on Pinot Noir grapes from nearby vineyards this time of year.
We saw several feral hogs this month. Here are four young (yearling?)
hogs with similar coloring, likely littermates,
on the upper mountain, followed by a big boar near the creek.
Summer is a time of transition for blacktail deer. Velvet usually covers the bucks' antlers in July and is gone by August, in preparation for the rut.
In this first photo from late July, the antler velvet is peeling off the buck on the background, while the buck in the foreground still has full velvet.
Fawns are also changing. This video splices two does and two distinctly
spotted fawns in mid-July with what I believe
are the same individuals a month later. The spots have almost
entirely faded.
Finally, a video with an identification challenge. What animal is moving near the middle of the frame?
This completes the third year of Friends of Lafferty Park's wildlife
camera project at Petaluma's Lafferty Ranch on Sonoma Mountain.
We're looking forward to seeing what the future brings.
