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woodsy
01-17-2008, 15:30
Post your winter wildlife observations here. I had posted this on another thread but felt it was slightly off-topic to that discussion.
Yesterday 1/16/08 was a prime but cold sunny day for a snowshoe into Crocker Cirque and back from Caribou Valley Road and the usual trip down to the Carrabassett River heading in the other direction.
A Downy Woodpecker (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21357)caught my attention heading up to the Cirque with the familiar pecking woodpeckers are noted for. I have seen many of these birds in the area. The notorious ice storm of 98 has left many White Birch trees dead, damaged and rotting so this makes a great habitat for insects and woodpeckers. This was the only bird I actually saw on this short trip of about 3 miles.
Grouse tracks crossed the trail further on and left off with wing prints in the snow on top of a boulder where it took to flight.
Moose tracks (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21358) on the trail and Striped Maple (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21359) trees showed signs of Moose feeding on them.
A Cottontail Rabbit had crossed the trail sometime after I went in to the Cirque and saw those tracks on the return hike.
This was fairly fresh snow so the wildlife tracks were limited.
It sure is fun reading tracks on snow.
Was the wildlife in a hurry or just on a leisure stroll?
Did something spook the grouse to make it fly off or was it time to move on anyway?
woodsy

Frolicking Dinosaurs
01-17-2008, 17:05
From short walk up the middle prong of Laural creek in the GSMNP (about 5 miles from AT): Lots of deer tracks - some evidence of wild hogs rooting around - a few rabbits scrambling to get out of sight - raccoon hand prints in the snow - one pepe la pugh waddling along trying to find something to eat - several birds calling, but never saw any of them.

warraghiyagey
01-17-2008, 17:14
A few days ago south of the Bigelows I saw a herd of small herd of Mammoths. Didn't react in time to capture them with my camera as I was preoccupied wondering if it was just an Oxymoron.

Pedaling Fool
01-17-2008, 18:13
I just took this pic today, not on the AT, rather at my house, but it is a bird you can see on the AT. He was in my yard, but by the time I got my camera he flew to the neighbors roof. I've seen him for the past 3 days; one day I'll get a good close-up of him, this pic was from about 100 ft away.

woodsy
01-17-2008, 19:01
From short walk up the middle prong of Laural creek in the GSMNP (about 5 miles from AT): Lots of deer tracks - some evidence of wild hogs rooting around - a few rabbits scrambling to get out of sight - raccoon hand prints in the snow - one pepe la pugh waddling along trying to find something to eat - several birds calling, but never saw any of them.
Now thats what I call winter wildlife observations!:)


A few days ago south of the Bigelows I saw a herd of small herd of Mammoths. Didn't react in time to capture them with my camera as I was preoccupied wondering if it was just an Oxymoron.
If the Ivory Billed Woodpeckers can come back from extinction, than the wooly mammoths can too. We need to go in there and investigate further Wargy. I am a bit leary of the Bigelow Yeti though:rolleyes:


I just took this pic today, not on the AT, rather at my house, but it is a bird you can see on the AT. He was in my yard, but by the time I got my camera he flew to the neighbors roof. I've seen him for the past 3 days; one day I'll get a good close-up of him, this pic was from about 100 ft away.
We call them snowbirds, fly south in the winter months:D

woodsy
03-19-2008, 09:25
Yes, thats right folks. A snowshoe trek into the wintry wilds of the Maine AT on Little Bigelow Mtn yesterday was a bonanza for this wildlife enthusiast. For the first time I am willing to confirm that these tracks (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23246) belong to the Canada Lynx (http://maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/endangered_species/canada_lynx/index.htm). I have seen many other suspect Lynx tracks but none as fresh and with such good detail (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23247) as these. Much larger than Bobcat tracks with longer stride.There was actually more than one set of tracks but couldn't be sure whether or not it was from the same cat on a different day. With March being mating season, it could very well be a pair of them.
Will be contacting Maine IF&W today as they encourage people to report
such findings/sightings of this protected species of cat.
Keep your eyes peeled for these cats if passing through the area as they roam during daylight hours too.
Other tracks seen were Bobcat, Weasel, Grouse, Moose and squirrel. The Moose was hanging around the Lil Bigelow Lean-to which is a fairly common wintering area for some of them.
Cheers
woodsy

pittmad
03-19-2008, 09:29
I was in the smokies two weeks ago and saw several wild turkeys and grouse. saw lot's of deer tracks and I think coyote tracks, but not the actual animals.

Pony
03-19-2008, 12:49
How common is it to see a Lynx or a Bobcat on the AT?

jhick
03-19-2008, 12:59
This last Xmas, I saw these bear prints in NJ near Racoon Ridge.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23250&catid=member&imageuser=11403

woodsy
03-19-2008, 13:07
How common is it to see a Lynx or a Bobcat on the AT?
Bobcat are widespread throughout most of the country and chances of seeing one are slim but more possible than Lynx.
The Lynx are a northern tier states and Canada inhabitant, seldom seen.
Lynx Researchers (http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=173570&ac=PHnws&pg=1) in Maine were recently interviewed by a newspaper here and share their findings on their health and threats. Interesting read if you're interested in this sort of thing.
Along the AT, ME, NH and VT are reporting Lynx tracks with few actual sightings. But, you never know. I've seen Bobcat tracks on every outing this winter.

Pony
03-19-2008, 13:41
Interesting article, I would never have imagined they would get killed by fishers. I have a friend from NH who will go on rants about how much he hates fishers, are they seen as a nuisance?

woodsy
03-19-2008, 13:48
I've never heard Fishers to be much of a nuisance before this thing with the Lynx.
Fishers help control the Porcupine population as far as I'm concerned.

emerald
03-19-2008, 20:06
You're a bit late for winter wildlife observations from The Green Diamond. It's beginning to look more like spring here every day.

I did once see what I thought might be a fisher on Maine's Bigelow Preserve, but it was a summer observation many years ago.

Jaybird62
03-19-2008, 20:10
This last Xmas, I saw these bear prints in NJ near Racoon Ridge.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23250&catid=member&imageuser=11403
Man, that looks like some BIG tracks!!:eek:

woodsy
03-19-2008, 20:42
SOG: It's beginning to look more like spring here every day.Heck, winter is just starting to kick in here, but the calendar says spring starts tomorrow.

Cookerhiker
03-19-2008, 21:09
On my SW Virginia section hike early March '05, on some patches of bare ground between stretches of deep snow, I encountered a skunk shown here (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=6534&catid=searchresults&searchid=13981).

emerald
03-19-2008, 21:27
As much as I loved Maine and enjoy winter, I became impatient waiting for spring there. Where I was raised, spring comes sooner than where woodsy lives, but as a resident of the wilds of Maine he is surely better at waiting than me.

Soon I will witness again the annual blooming of Jeffersonia diphylla by my front door. It may come early this year. Until the blessed event arrives, I must settle for last year's slightly out-of-focus photo (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=20038&catid=513) on my desktop.:)

Spring will come to visit woodsy again. Until it does, I will post photos from The Green Diamond, but they would be off-topic here. Maybe I should start another thread.

woodsy
03-19-2008, 21:37
Oh yeah, here's a sign of spring (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23244) on Little Bigelow yesterday. You can just see water starting to show in the bottom of a deep snow hole

emerald
03-19-2008, 21:51
Water to make a painted trillium grow skyward and flower perhaps?