River otters in the Finger Lakes

This is a long one, so get comfortable!

January 11, 2013

Today I had the pleasure of accompanying a past professor of mine from Finger Lakes Community College (John), and a current Biotechnology student (Will) on a tramp through the woods. We were at the Hi Tor Wildlife Management Area in Italy Valley, NY. The goal: to find a river otter (Lontra canadensis) latrine site.

Some brief natural history about the river otter: they are in the weasel family (Mustelidae) along with wolverines and badgers (which do not live in NY), fishers, martens, mink, short/long-tailed weasels, and least weasels. They’re all very long-bodied, veracious hunters and fighters, and they all contain a scent gland that leaves behind a very musky scent. Weasels are smelly, but I love them! Around 12ish years ago, river otters were locally extirpated in the Finger Lake region. They could still be found in pockets in the Adirondacks and perhaps the Catskills. The DEC, along with private monies, collected and live-trapped otters from these regions. They were then rehabilitated, vaccinated, fattened up, and then released at various areas all over the Finger Lakes. It’s ONE example of an animal trapped and releases in another area that was a success story. Over the past decade +, the river otters have been coming back in force. There is not a season for trapping allowed, because it has not been determined that they are THAT stable, but they’re back. There have been live and sign sightings, incidental trappings, and roadkills found all over the region. Oh, and what’s a latrine? It’s also referred to as a “toilet” site. The otters (and some other critters) will defecate and urinate in the same spot over and over. This is a territorial marking behavior.

There is a study going on currently out of the Environmental School of Forestry (SUNY ESF) in Syracuse that hopes to document where the otter are, a potential abundance of them, and then “who” is around. Camera traps are being used, as well as scat samples are being taken so that DNA work can be done to determine the “who” or genetic variation. Much of the camera-trapping has begun over the summer of 2012, and not much work (to my knowledge) has been done in the lab working on scat samples.

Will, the biotech student from FLCC, is assisting in the scat collection. Since these easily-accessible latrines were found, and he lives nearby, he and others will be monitoring the area for fresh scats. John knew the location, and so off we went.

Our destination location: River Otter Pond

 As we approached the pond, we made sure to keep quiet. The last time John had visited the pond, he observed an otter on the shore. We hoped that this would be the case again today. Well, we were NOT disappointed! After a short 2-3 minutes of standing still and scanning the ice, I spotted a little head pop out of an ice hole that the otters were breathing at. I unfortunately don’t have any pictures to share of that sighting, but we counted 3! Below is a picture of the ice hole, with tracks leading to/from it.

In the top picture, I'm standing on the side of the pond we first approached, and that is the view 

I watched the otters at. The arrow is the ice hole. The bottom picture is across the other side of the 

pond, looking back in the direction I originally was. The ice hole is much easier to see from here.

The sighting was VERY cool for me. Weasels in general are very intelligent and wary critters. They are curious, but quick. We were able to sneak up undetected and catch a glimpse of them acting naturally and doing “otter stuff”. It was amazing, and yet ANOTHER confirmation that I’m in the right field of study and work! After watching the otters until they went back under the ice, we set to work looking for the 2 otter latrine sites that were known to be at the pond’s edge.

The first location was easily spotted. There was otter scat in abundance.

Otter latrine site #1. Notice the entrance/exit hole at left.

Otter scat is easy to identify, in my opinion. Because their primary diet consists of fish, and invertebrates like crayfish, the scales and exoskeletons are found in the scat, because it’s too tough to digest. See below.

Note the scales and delicate fish bones in the scat.

Will collecting scat samples.

Will is looking to determine which method of preservation will best keep the integrity of the scat. Once it is expelled from the body, the scat is decomposing, thus the DNA is breaking up. Since the work to determine the genetics of the scat can't be done in the field, it must be preserved until lab time. Will is trying no preservative (L), a chemical I don't remember (M), and ethanol (R). Then all samples will be frozen until he's ready to work in the lab.

Once Will took what he needed from this location, we hiked over to the other side of the pond. Still no sign of the otters.

On this side of the pond, John knew for sure there was a latrine site. He actually visited this exact spot the last time he was here, and he deployed a Cuddeback Attack IR camera at the site. Bound to get otters, right?

The Cuddeback Attack's view of the latrine site.

Success! Two river otters in a 'slide'. This is a behavior otters often do, to get from point A to point B. 

Photo credit: John Van Niel

AND TRIPLE SUCCESS! 3 otters this time! Is this the 3 otters that we saw earlier? Regardless, what an awesome capture. Photo credit: John Van Niel

Total success! The grad student in charge of the overall project is going to be so excited when she sees the site and the pictures.

Lastly, after Will took his samples he did one last thing. The grad student I just mentioned, Elaina, will be visiting this spot in the future to check it out, and to collect samples. Another thing you can do to make sure that you have a good scat sample, is to get the freshest possible. Well, how do you know if the poop is fresh? Sight? Smell? Texture? Gross.

Well, you can glitterize it!

Sprinkling glitter on the scat will tell Elaina which is freshest. Tomorrow, when she visits,
she'll know that any 'unglittered' scat is less than 24 hours old.

Pretty!

This latrine site was huge. Probably 8 feet wide and absolutely covered...with poop.

What a wonderful day. I know to many, this seems like a bizarre thing to be interested in and to get excited about. But seeing the otters was a total chance, yet sign left behind is much easier and common to observe, and can tell us so much about the lives of these amazing animals.

I will soon have a blog entry or 2 about Otter’s cousin, Fisher. Another fascinating wild animal!

PS- for John's take of the day, check out his blog Backyard Beasts: All that glitters is not gold, sometimes it's otter poop.

Infrared camera trap pictures

A week ago I posted a blog entry about infrared or IR camera traps. 90% of my personal camera-trapping pictures are from a typical “flash” camera which yields typically crisp and in color images. I left my Cuddeback Attack flash camera set up back at my house in Schoharie for the time that I would be away for the holidays, but while I’m in Western, NY for these few weeks, I am borrowing the same exact brand and model camera, just the IR version.

Well, when I set the camera a week ago, and the picture I shared of it’s “view” has nothing to show for the 4-5 days it was up. User error. I took so much time prepping the area, clearing weeds and sticks, and making sure the camera was hanging nicely, that I forgot to turn the camera on! What a rookie mistake.

When I went back to the spot a few days ago to check it, there was actually someone walking in the woods right by the camera. I had it set on my parents property, but still…there was someone wandering through the woods. They weren’t out hunting either, I assumed by the football jersey I saw him wearing. I had the dogs with me, so luckily I saw him before they did, and I turned back and left the area until I saw him leave. I really didn’t want to chase them around! I wasn’t comfortable with that whole situation, so I grabbed the camera and left. Because I’m borrowing it, I would be really really bummed out if someone stole it from me.

My parents have 10 acres of rural land, so there are plenty of spots to put the camera. This time I moved it to a little creek running through the woods on the opposite side of the property.



IR camera in it's new location

 

I chose a tree that was growing right smack dab in the middle of the creek, and I pointed it down a tree that had fallen across the creek. The creek at it’s deepest is 8″, and is only about 4 feet wide. So it’s not hard to cross, but animals like little bridges that they can use. My goal for this location is sort of weasely critter. There are short-tails, long-tails, and minks that live around me for sure. Doubtful that river otter or fishers do, but the littler weasels do. All of those animals, by the way, are in the same family (Mustelidae) and are all cousins!

In front of the camera you can see the bait I left- I took the handful of dog food that one of the dogs left in her bowl, a combination of wet/dry food, and smeared it on the trunk of that downed tree. I thought that fishy smell of the canned dog food would draw in a weasel. Nope.

First, my naughty puppy snuck into the woods at some point and raided the camera trap site.

 

Next, this feral cat made several appearances Christmas Eve and Christmas night. Apparently my parents have seen it on the second floor of their deck off the back of the house recently. Lovely!

 

Ok Blackie, I’ve had enough of you! If I have a cat repeatedly showing up to this area, few other WILD animals will. I left the camera where it was, because I like the spot, and the next time I check it will dictate whether it stays there or not. Ugh!

Infrared camera-trapping basics

Well my first semester is over at SUNY Cobleskill, only 3 left to go! I travelled back to the Finger Lakes region for the holidays at my parents house, and of course I left my camera trap set out at my house, so I’ll have that to look forward to when I return back in January. I have it set in the same spot where I got the Barred Owl (see previous entry).

Cuddeback Attack IR

I was able to borrow another camera from some friends to use while I’m visiting my hometown! It’s the same brand and model: Cuddeback Attack. Instead of having a 1.5 strobe flash, like many traditional cameras do, this camera has a panel of 36 LED infrared lights that allow the camera to take a picture in the dark, without a flash.

Pros are that the camera doesn’t give it’s presence away like a flash would, thus not spooking the wildlife. Cons are that it doesn’t take as good of pictures that the flash does. They’re sometimes blurry and they’re always black and white when taken at night.

The label you see on the camera is because the friends that loaned this camera to me have many cameras, and this is how they keep track of who is using what.

The following pictures were taken on a Cuddeback Attack IR camera.

This past spring (2012) I conducted a mini field study in the heart of the Finger Lakes at the south end of Honeoye Lake, as an independent study at FLCC. To read all about that study, check out this link: Field Study @ Muller Field Station.

White-tailed deer during daylight hours on an IR camera.

 

White-tailed deer during nighttime hours on an IR camera.

 

The little white pad that the deer is sniffing has a scent lure on it. This is similar to a bait: it stinks and brings the animal in to check it out. But unlike a bait, it doesn’t provide a “reward” which could condition an animal to alter it’s natural behavior and come back to the site repeatedly as a food source. But that’s not important for the purpose of this post!

It was very fortunate that this deer, or 2 different deer, came in at the same angle and in the same posture so that I have a nice daylight/darkness comparison to share with you!

For those of us who just “play” with these cameras, either the Flash or IR is fine to play with. Those who conduct research or who are trying to minimize the chances of their camera from being seen (by animal or human), IR is the way to go.

So, here’s what my borrowed camera is “looking at” and I’ll be checking it in a few days and if anything interesting shows up, I’ll be sharing! That is: if the world doesn’t end tomorrow.

Week #12: The Final Pics

I should have posted this last week, but I am SO behind in my blogging. I am going crazy right now with wrapping up my time at this college, the semester, life in this town...and starting to think about moving to Alaska. In 20 days. 20 DAYS!

Last week on Monday, April 30th I wrapped up my data collecting for my independent study that's been running for the past 12 weeks at the Muller Field Station. To refresh, this study was funded by a National Science Foundation Grant, the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative. I was able to purchase 5 Cuddeback camera traps, various scent lures, and other sundry supplies like batteries, gloves, and scent pads. I've been checking the cameras weekly on every Monday since February 6th, 2012. The following are the pictures collected between 4/23 and 4/30.

Camera A

Raccoon

Canada Goose

Camera B

NO pictures for Camera B because I forgot to turn it on after the last time I was there checking the cameras. And wait til later in the post, when I share something cool. Really kicking myself...

Camera C - please note that the time stamps are wrong on these pictures. I'm not sure what happened, but I realize they are incorrect!

White-tailed deer

Red fox

Red fox

Red fox...there must be a den nearby!

Coyote

A male WTD with nubs!

And that's all she wrote! Officially through with collecting data. DONE! It was a wild 12 weeks, so much fun checking the cameras every week waiting to see what I got. I'm honestly surprised that I didn't get: beaver, striped skunk, black bear, or more river otter, mink, and muskrat.

This morning I got a call from Nadia, the K12 Outreach Coordinator at the field station. I've left the cameras up for her to continue to use with school groups that come and visit. She calls me in a frenzy this morning to tell me that we finally got this:

BAM. 3 days after I was "done" collecting data! AND this was on Camera B, the one I neglected to set correctly for the final week! I'm kicking myself. I can't believe this darn bear waited perhaps all 12 weeks before showing his/her face. I have been seeing bear sign for WEEKS at the field station, within eyesight of one of my camera sets! So frustrating, but VERY cool that it finally happened!



Now it's data time. I've been looking over and over at the data I collected which I've stuck into a spreadsheet in Excel. I'm also writing my final paper and drawing conclusions and "stuff". It's tedious, frustrating, but I'm very excited to see the final results.

Week #11 of Independent Study Results

Since the beginning of February I've had 4 Cuddeback Attack IR cameras mounted and "soaking", as some will say, capturing any and all living creatures wandering in front of the sets. Next week on Monday, I will be pulling the cameras, and collecting the final pictures. It's bittersweet. I love using the cameras for personal enjoyment, and to see who's prowling around when I'm not there. But this study has taken alot of work and "thinking" time. I still have half of the work left to do, all of the compilation, analysis, paperwriting, and presenting of the findings to do during the busiest time of the semester.

I hope I'm afforded the opportunity to present before my time at this college is up! Though, I think I may have opportunity to continue this type of work at SUNY Cobleskill, where I'm heading next.

Anyway, last Sunday (April 22, 2012) we had a freak spring storm. A Nor'easter blew up from somewhere, and dumped 1-10" of wet snow on the Finger Lakes region. Where I live, North/central Finger Lakes, we got probably 3-4". I woke up to a winter wonderland and a beautiful emergency text notifcation from the college: SNOW DAY! I don't care how old you are, a snow day is a gift. A friend of mine a bit more South than me, and in higher elevation got 8" of wet HEAVY snow. Even though school was cancelled, my cameras were waiting for me still at the field station, which was south and higher in elevation...

Muller Field Station after spring snowstorm 4/23/2012

...I expected the worst, but I drive an AWD SUV, so I drove down. Suprisingly, I think most of it melted off by the time I got there late in the afternoon, even though it was still snowing a bit. Our weather was SO screwy this spring. Last Friday, 2-3 days before this storm, it was in the 80's and sunny and breezy...our poor fruit farmers!

Camera A

As I approached the first camera, I held my breath. I haven't been to check the cameras in 2 weeks. Last week I was at the 2012 Northeastern Natural History Conference so I asked a classmate of mine if  he wouldn't mind checking them for me, as he has in the past. So, thanks to Joe! I was holding my breath, as I always do upon approach, because of A) hoping my camera is still there, B) it's still hanging as I left it, and C) still running.  Check, check, check. As you can see, behind the camera there is quite a bit of standing water behind the tree it's mounted on. Also, the scent pad was swollen with water and was quite disgusting. I wonder if/how this impacted any movements of the critters who live nearby? I have many pictures and video of medium sized mammals like raccoon and opossum coming from behind the camera, or going behind the camera, but I'm not sure if they will in 5" of water. The following are the better pictures collected.



Camera A yielded 16 pictures from the past 2 weeks.

Gray squirrel

White-tailed deer

Raccoon

Raccoon

Camera B

Camera B looked ok, no standing water here...just some slushy snow. This camera had a whopping 39 images waiting for me! I rarely get 20 images on a camera a week, which is what would have been on there for just one week, and especially on this camera. It's not "hot", if you know what I mean.... I've been hoping and dreaming for a black bear, which I have repeatedly and recently found sign of here at the field station. It is bear country, they are out of the dens, and I'm using stinky-smelly scent, so the conditions should be right, right? I'd even take another river otter or 2! I just got my first 3 weeks ago, which was awesome. To check them out, visit this entry: Two New Critters!

I have to be honest, I didn't get either of those animals...BUT I did get a new species! Not a mammal, so it doesn't directly pertain to my study, but wicked cool to watch through the lens of a camera.

BAM!

A Great Blue Heron, isn't it gorgeous? One of my favorite birds. I'd love to handle one someday, I'm sure it would be a trip, but I'd love to do it!

And Joe, thanks Joe for the help!

GBH vocalizing? Or swallowing something?

In this video, this GBH is clearly fishing! I'm thinking bullhead?

One white-tail? Just watch the following video. This is why I LOVE the video feature of the Attack's!

Love the yearlings!

Camera C

Lot's of snow here! Not sure why, and there's some standing water as well behind the camera. This camera isn't really that "hot" usually, and this time over 2 weeks yielded only 12 pictures...typical.

I was again hopeful that I got the elusive local Ursid or Lontra canadensis...but nope.

Raccoon

Opossum

A soggy raccoon...was it in the water? Or was it raining...I wonder.

Soggy raccoon

Camera D

The final camera, 'D', is usually my hot spot. but this time: 9 images. 9! I couldn't believe it. Usually I get a ton of red foxes trotting back and forth, and these past two weeks, not that many. The grass in front of the camera I noticed is getting higher, maybe that's blocking a bit of the action on the trail. The mown trail is what I'm standing on, and about 7 feet wide.

I'm really interested in getting all of this data on the spreadsheet and starting to play with it, and watching for trends. Where have my fox friends gone?

White-tail deer

The only red fox I got!

My friend and future roomie Mady, who came to hang out for the day since we didn't have class! Her job was to carry my journal for me :)

That's it for the camera pics. Kind of lame for 2 weeks worth of images. I wonder where everyone is? Like I said earlier, it has been warmer than usual, up until the Nor'easter over the weekend. This week it has been cold and rainy, so we'll see next week when I pull the cameras.

I'm backed up about 3 or 4 entries, and I wanted to cram one in before this weekend. I'm heading off to the high peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains for a canoeing and camping trip. This is my fulfillment for a P.E. credit that I need for my degree, and of course I jumped at the chance. The trip is being led by 2 of my favorite professors, and I'm going with a bunch of fun friends who are also conservation majors. We'll be canoeing down the Raquette River, of which I've led trips of kids down this very stretch of river myself, for about 10 miles, and then tenting out. I just made a venison and bear meat stew for Saturday night, and I can't wait to eat it! I've never had bear...and I feel it's fitting to eat it while canoeing and camping in the backcountry.

Lastly, I just went and visited my new college that I'm transferring to this fall: the State University of New York at Cobleskill yesterday to get some administrative stuff figured out. I'm so excited about my fall schedule: 19 credits, but very much looking forward to it.

-Statistics I (3)

-Geographic Information Systems (3)

-Wetlands Assesment Dilineation (3)

-Woody Plant Materials (3)

-Wildlife Policy & Regulation Compliance (1)

-Spreadsheet & Database Applications (3)

-Environmental Law & Regulation (3)

! ! !