Porky Log

Back in mid-February I found a long-fallen oak tree spanning a lengthy pool in a large stream. “Ah-ha” says I to myself, “that would be a good spot to put a camera trap.” Because the three inches of snow on the ground would make it easy for someone to follow my tracks, I decided to use my old commercial trail camera because it was expendable. 

A check of the camera two weeks later yielded a poor picture of a bobcat that used the log to cross the stream at night –

It also had photos of a raccoon and porcupines. Because the winter was warm, by then the snow had melted and there wouldn’t be any tracks to follow so I decided to replace the commercial camera with a homebrewed camera trap that takes much better pictures anticipating some good bobcat photos.

All through March, April and May the only things that showed up in the photographs were porcupines and, on a couple of occasions, raccoons –

Activity picked up in June as first a crow was photographed –

Followed by a great blue heron –

The parade of porcupines continued –

And raccoons kept using the log –

As did a great blue heron, probably the same bird as earlier –

In late July between four and five inches of rain fell overnight and the stream rose above the bottom of the log –

Finally in mid-August a bobcat reappeared on the camera’s memory card –

It was with hopes for photos of a bear crossing the log, or a fisher, or several photos of a bobcat making the crossing that I’d put the camera trap at the log. But, with due respects to the porcupines and raccoons, this spot has been disappointing. Perhaps other fallen trees spanning the stream proved to be better bridges or the bear, bobcat and fisher just didn’t have any reason to cross. And having another promising spot, I removed the camera trap.