Wildlife Log

A search of the internet led to no good practical instruction on how to nurse and care for distressed bats. I learned only to stay far from them for fear of rabies, and the usual instruction to call in a certified bat rehabilitation expert from Seattle or some such. In further searching, I learned that only a fraction of 1% of bats carry rabies, and that there is need for much more practical, applied and un-sanitized information on the internet from bat conservation organizations.

That night I puzzled over where to place the little brown for final recovery and continued hibernation. It would need to be a place that somewhat mirrored his temperature, humidity and air circulation needs, as well as protection from marauders. I did find some info on this via the internet, determining that little brown bat winter hibernacula typically consist of caves, rock crevices or in the thermal mass of big tree trunks. This immediately led to thinking of my house foundation, and cool late fall days when I had found little browns hunkered tightly against the concrete inside crawl space vents. A potential recovery room idea for the little brown came to mind.

Location: Upper Eastside Lateral Ditch near Neal Creek
Date Posted: Nov 6, 2007

Sighting:

"Did you see that animal Steve?", I asked, after seeing a brief flash across the dirt road. "No," Steve responded. "It must have been a... coyote or something", I said with uncertainty as we pull up to our normal water quality sample site along the Upper Eastside Lateral Ditch near Neal Creek. As I get out of the truck I look down into the ditch, and low and behold not one but two animals are down at the bottom. The first recognizable animal was a deer, who was laying on her side, her head pushing aside tall grasses near the trickling irrigation water. The other animal, with almost identical fur coloration, seemed to be laying on top of the deer, a puzzling site to see. "Steve, do you see these deer?", I ask with a sense of bewilderment. And with that comment, the second animal gets up and runs off into the brush, smashing through with loud abandonment. The deer proceeds to get up and move out of the ditch, with a large, visible open gash nears its abdomen, bleeding on the dirt road as it scurries off. And down below, only yards away from this amazing encounter, lies the evidence of the second animal's identity. Photographed here are the paw prints of an estimated 100 lb, young male Mountain Lion (Felis concolor) also known as the Cougar, after fleeing the scene of an interrupted attack on an adult black tail doe. Incredible!

Location: In the back of Steve's truck which was parked at the office
Date Posted: Oct. 24, 2007

Sighting: As Jamie was loading up the back of Steve's pickup in preparation for their field day, he saw a little female Junco that had gotten disoriented in the covered bed of the truck. Since the bird was sitting there stunned and motionless, Jamie reached in a picked up the little bird. After a quick rest to regain her senses and pose for a few pictures, she flew off into the ginkgo tree.

Location: Columbia R. just outside the mouth of the White Salmon River
Date Posted: Oct. 7, 2007

Sighting: Once again I stepped off the front porch of the Hood River Watershed and intercepted this beautiful Fall Chinook Salmon. This fish weighed 28 pounds and is very bright for this late in the season.

Sighting: We spooked a momma Merganser and her several young-ins. She quickly led them downstream so that we couldn't chase them. The next day my brother and I saw a Water Uzel in the same place.

Sighting: I was mtn. biking with my dogs when I head a rattle from the side of the road. I knew it was a rattlesnake and despite the fact I wanted to go back and see it, I figured it would be prudent to get the dogs out of there for everyone's safety. There were also lots of lizards in the road. Probably rattlesnake snacks!

Sighting: While fishing for Summer Steelhead in the late evening I spotted 3 buck deer in a "Bachelor Group" trying to cross the River. Two were already 3 points and one was a yearling toehead and all were in velvet in the early stages of antler development. They looked like they were going to swim across the river until they spotted me and were spooked back to the shoreline. I have fished this part of the river for 35 years and have seen deer tracks occasionally but this is the first time I have actually seen deer on this stretch of the River, even though it appears to be excellent deer habitat. Earlier in the week I spotted two pairs of Canada Geese in the Pipeline Hole. One pair had two young goslings and the other pair successfully reared 6 (count em!) goslings who were already half grown. This area along the Hood River corridor is included in the Powerdale Lands which have been set aside as a conservation easement by Pacificorp and the Powerdale Lands Stakeholder's Group for fish and wildlife habitat and recreational access. What a wonderful legacy for the citizens of Hood River County and beyond!

Location: Hood River mainstem just below China Gorge Restaurant in the Y-inn hole for you locals that still remember...

Sighting:

Sighting: Once again I stepped off the front porch of the Hood River Watershed and intercepted this beautiful Fall Chinook Salmon. This fish weighed 28 pounds and is very bright for this late in the season.

Sighting: We spooked a momma Merganser and her several young-ins. She quickly led them downstream so that we couldn't chase them. The next day my brother and I saw a Water Uzel in the same place.

Sighting: While conducting the "field" portion of the Watershed Group sponsored Steelhead Fishing 101 Class I spotted a Mink frolicking on the opposite shoreline.

Sighting: Bear sighting. At 100 yards away it looked like a huge black bear with a brown coat. This is the second time a bear has been sighted in this area in the past week.

Sighting: Looked out my living room window the other morning and there were 3 cow elk trotting thru the orchard. Looked like maybe they were hurrying off to a brunch date.

Sighting: Don't know if this address is too far out of the watershed to qualify, but saw Coyote chasing deer; piliated woodpecker and a great horned owl.

Sighting: I was trying not to fall off the slushy, foggy ridge when I heard the shrill cry of a Peregrine Falcon. I looked up and the falcon flew right over us before disappearing into the mist.

Sighting: Saw a 6-8 point healthy looking deer in an orchard

Sighting: Saw a beautiful 8 point Buck starring at me. He had no concern that I almost drove over him.

Sighting: We saw a coyote that we startled as we were driving to our next water quality monitoring site. It ran down along the road ahead of us and then turned and went off into the woods.

Sighting: A pair of some type of dark-colored salamanders scurried into the damp weeds as I approached the edge of the creek.

Sighting: I didn't SEE the bear, but I saw lots of its tracks in the mud along the creek. I also found plenty of half-eaten salmon carcasses nearby. Apparently this bear is a picky eater!

Sighting: I saw a large coyote in a pasture with several cows. The cows looked worried!

Sighting: I noticed these two Fall Chinook Salmon swimming by the front porch of the Hood River Watershed this last September. My Dad and I stepped out of the Watershed just long enough to intercept them in the Columbia River off the mouth of the White Salmon River.

Sighting: A bobcat was crossing the road when we came around a corner.

Sighting: A small grey lizard ran across the trail in front of me.

Sighting: Thought I saw a moose but it was a large elk. IMPRESSIVE!