Days are getting cooler and shorter. Moderate rain has ended the dry season, but most has soaked into the thirsty ground, so creek flow is still minimal.
That being the case, these visitors to the mountain were quite a
surprise. River otters are often seen in lower-elevation ponds and
streams,
but I would not expect to see them at 1400' elevation on a small creek
near the end of the dry season.
Raccoons were the plentiful small omnivore this month (as compared to
skunks and opossums, which are usually more plentiful).
Here is a photo and video of a group of raccoons at Adobe Creek.
At the same creek crossing, we saw a mountain lion making its way down
the mountain.
We have seen them regularly in recent months, but this is the first we
have seen wearing a tracking collar.
This presumably is one of the wild cougars tracked by the excellent Living
With Lions organization, whom we notified.
Deer were plentiful on all cameras, and look healthy. Bucks look muscular for the Fall rutting season, and some seem to have scars on their neck and shoulders.
Gray squirrel photo, included in part for the fall color in the leaf litter.
Photo of a young bobcat on the hillside forest trail, plus a video of the same kitten with its mother.
Finally, a feral hog on the upper mountain meadow.
