Deer leaping across Adobe Creek at twilight. We regularly have seen deer at this creek crossing area. Until...
... February 6, when an adult deer carcass appeared on a big rock in the
creek. We don't know what killed it. Mountain lions wouldn't
normally leave their kill in the open.
The previous days saw heavy rains and the creek in full flood.
At any rate, we studied the photos on the following days to see who would
go after the carcass.
A turkey vulture was first, managing to find the meal and navigate into
the heavily wooded area. Then other vultures joined in.
The last photo above was taken on February 12.
We were surprised there were no mammalian scavengers. The only non-vulture was this corvid (Raven, I believe, judging by the size).
For reference, here is a photo from my phone camera of the carcass as I
approached Camera #1 on February 13, 2024.
The angle is slightly different, and it looks like what remains after
seven days is mostly skin and bone. Also abundant, white vulture
droppings on the rocks.
We'll see what happens to the carcass going forward. The expected heavy
rains might wash it away.
Camera #2 in the middle of the Lafferty property yielded many nocturnal skunk photos for a second month in a row.
Also opossums at night.
And bobcat.
Same camera, in daylight. Grey squirrel.
A covey of quail. First we've seen.
This bird was eating bugs on the log. Female Northern
Flicker?
Deer on an upper meadow.
Another opossum on an upper meadow. I am told an individual opossum can
eat 5000 ticks in a single season, so they are my favorite animal right
now.
(Tick season is in full swing on Sonoma Mountain.)
No feral pigs were photographed in this early February 2024 period, but we're seeing increased hog sign (tracks and scat) on the upper trails.
We did capture some video. I'll try posting one here, of the covey of quail on the march.