One of my camera traps had an unexpected treat when I checked it this
morning: the tree it was aimed at was used repeatedly by a flying
squirrel. This is the first time I've captured this species on camera.
The tree in question was located right at the water's edge. The next
time I go back I'll have to look for clues as to why the squirrel was
visiting this particular location.
My cameras took several hundred photos during the last three weeks, and
I'll be posting some of this highlights in the coming days. Some of you
have asked for more specific details about the locations. I'm not
comfortable sharing this. I don't want visitors to the sites, for the
protection of the animals and of my cameras. Some of the photos I'll be
sharing later this week have enough detail that you can probably figure
out where they are located. Please don't take that as a challenge.
Assuming there's still some snow on the ground tomorrow, I'm going to be
taking advantage of it to try to locate some new animal hot spots.
Hopefully some of you will be out finding similar locations in your own
favorite areas.
(Oh, and just a reminder: hunting season is in full swing now. Wear
orange in the woods.)
Wow, Dan. What a great camera catch. We never get to see flying squirrels, so this is, as you said, a real treat. Let us know if you find anything in the area that has attracted it to that tree. And also if there's specific sign that you can identify. It's likely that we unwittingly pass over clues of flying squirrel presence regularly, just because it's such a low-profile, secretive critter. I don't blame you, by the way, for not giving up the camera locations. Excess activity at the sites benefits no one, and we should all have the skills by now to come up with our own "hot spots."
ReplyDeleteWow, I can't wait to see the other photos, too!
ReplyDeleteWe were "lucky" enough to have a few of these visitors in our home last winter, and discovered that the pantry was in fact open to the inside of the walls. So our friends came out into the dining and family rooms to visit, and we got a real good look at them!
http://www.jeffandvivian.com/vivian/Glaucomys.jpg
Dan,
ReplyDeleteYou probably already know this, but you can probably find flying squirrel scat in the fine wood particles that come out of the tree. The scat is almost the identical color as the saw dust, but is in pretty discrete oblong pellets, about 3/8" long. According to Judy Chupasko, we mostly have southern flying squirrels but there are pockets of northern around.
Nice find! Lydia
I have had them in my former house. They would jump off a high balcony and land right on me as I was sleeping. They were kind of dumb. I would chase them into a corner, pick em up ( with very thick gloves) and put them back outside. Then the little buggers would come back the next night. I'm so glad I don't live there anymore.
ReplyDelete