jnelson's Identifications

October 14, 16, 17, a raccoon is standing to the right of the frame, partially concealed by branches. Per unposted video the raccoon carefully uses its nose to investigate both the rock and the low branches, in addition to most of the ground in the field of view. This location is about 100 feet above the river. I've tacked on a second image of a racoon at the same location two days later, this time at dawn and traveling very steadily from east to west without sniffing anything. In the third image from the following evening, a racoon is traveling steadily from west to east, without stopping to sniff anything.

2024/01/11 2:30 PM
On the afternoon of Jan 11, the time of the photo prior to this one (see photo #2), there was no deer carcass present in the field of view. Here, on the morning of Jan 12, 2024, a freshly dead deer carcass has suddenly appeared. The camera took no intervening photos and the associated video provides no additional information.

See: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/212083520

See: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=bog7hk,%20carcass for the complete set of observations at this mystery carcass.

Because there is frequently very strong wind at this location, I have the motion sensor set to a relatively insensitive level, otherwise I get endless hundreds of photos of grass and juniper branches swaying. This is one time when I wish it had been at a more sensitive setting. I have no idea how the deer died, but it is possible that the final movements of this deer is what triggered the camera to take this photo.

A raven is the first to trigger the camera since the deer carcass first appeared.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=bog7hk,%20carcass for the complete set of observations at this mystery carcass.

On Jan. 21, 9 days after the carcass appeared the camera is triggered again by a couple of mule deer passing by. A young buck sniffs at the snow above the carcass.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=bog7hk,%20carcass for the complete set of observations at this mystery carcass.

On Jan. 24, almost two weeks after the carcass appeared, the camera is again triggered by a raven cautiously approaching. It is the first time the camera has captured attempted feeding by any animal. Per the associated video (unposted) the raven is definitely feeding a few minutes later, apparently somewhere on or near the head of the deer. The raven (I think the same one) continues to trigger the camera for eight minutes of feeding. Later in the saga of the mystery deer carcass Ravens become the most common daily vertebrate visitors.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=bog7hk,%20carcass for the complete set of observations at this mystery carcass.

Late the afternoon of the same day (Jan. 26) a bobcat triggers the camera, presumably the same one.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=bog7hk,%20carcass for the complete set of observations at this mystery carcass.

There are houses within 500 m that might have brave domestic cats such as this one, although the markings are unusual. It's not at all impossible that this is a feral cat or that there could even be a population of feral cats here next to the river. I am posting this and the next observation because they are interesting... here at 6:23 in the evening the cat walks through the frame and sprays on the lower branches of a juniper in the background (per unposted video). At 7:41 pm (next observation) a bobcat walks through the frame at right angles to the path of the cat, sniffs the spot where the cat sprayed, and moves on in a different direction (per unposted video).