You may not see many animals when you go hiking, but they’re out there. This year Smithsonian Institution scientists used motion-triggered cameras to take more than 1,900 photos of wildlife — when nobody was watching — along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. (Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)
They attached the cameras to trees about 100 yards off the trail, collected them each month, downloaded the photos and then put the cameras in new locations. They used 50 cameras in some 273 locations.
The Washington Post reported some of the results – and published some of the photos – in a
November 13 article.
White-tailed deer were the most-often photographed animal and black bears appeared more than the scientists expected. They also got shots of bobcats, coyotes and even a wild pony.
The study was part of a new effort to study air, water and wildlife along the Trail. This research aimed to document the animal traffic along a nearly 600-mile-long section.
The cameras did not see a near-mythical animal of the Eastern forest, the Eastern cougar, which many folks think is extinct.
View a gallery of photos here.
It’s incredible to see these animals in the wild, when people aren’t around, especially the bobcat, which is a rare sight.
What do you think of the photos? Share your stories of wildlife sightings and photography.
Although we certainly aren’t in the county (suburban southeast Denver within the city limits), we have lots of birdlife including sparrows, finches, pigeons, songbirds, ducks, crows, Northern Harrier hawks, woodpeckers (flickers), kingfishers and occasionally a large heron-like bird that I’m not too sure about. We are between two manmade “creeks” with plenty of trees and grass. One “creek” about 150 feet from our house is actually a drainage ditch that has been fixed up to be more natural. The ditch even sometimes has little minnow like fish, as well as crawdads and muskrat (I haven’t seen any muskrat in several years, however).
About 5 years ago a redtailed hawk landed on a car across the street from us (why I have no idea) and somewhat earlier than that I saw a great horned owl in a cottonwood tree just by our ditch (i.e., “creek”).
We have had raccoons and foxes in our backyard, and coyotes in the “creek” to our West. About 10 or 15 years ago now a mountain lion was unfortunately killed about 2 miles south of us, along this “creek”.
The most common wildlife we have are squirrels — gazillions of them. At least they give the dogs (I have three) something to do.
About a block and a half to the East is Highline Canal, which takes water to farmers out on the plains. It runs for miles and miles and also attracts wildlife. I’ve never seen them, but I know there are skunks in the area (;^}
Strangely, there are no prairie dogs or rabbits around our immediately area, but they are very common in Denver. In fact, Denver is a haven for prairie dogs, rabbits and foxes. I teach on a wide open, almost treeless urban campus nestled between downtown Denver and Interstate 25 (near Elitch Gardens Amusement Park and just across the highway from Mile Hi Stadium). It doesn’t seem like much of a place for wildlife but we have tons of squirrels, rabbits and I have even seen a fox, right there on campus.
Larry S.
Denver
i have a motion sensor camera behind my house that also has infrared lights and we live in an urban area yet we see armadillos, opossums, racoons and feral cats, nightly. we got it for crime but since the monitor sits next to the tv, we nightly see wildlife while watching tv. it has caught the 23 year old son of our neighbor running thru the yard at 330 in the morning, but mostly we see the wildlife. the part about the neigbors son is strange but unfortunaltly true.
What amazing photos! Thanks for sharing, Dan.
I loved the caption that said many animals were scared by the flash of the camera, but that the flash made the deer curious.
Maybe soon you can catch the sound and images of your backyard wildlife on your cellphone.
my camera purchased at lowes, also picks up sound. i bought it for 70.00. but all i hear is shuffling,at night. but during the day i hear hawks and osprey. along with more common birds and traffic far off. we find it as entertaining as the tv is.
Many years ago, as my children were able to walk, I taught them how to “stalk” the animals in the wooded areas that we camped in. We very seldom took a camera because the “Click” it made would startle the animals. The kids were taught to respect the animals’ right to be there, and not to infringe on thier freedom. I now have the pleasure of teaching my grandchildre and one great-grandson. None of the kids grew up to be hunters (except with a camera)and some fish, but they all grew up to be nature lovers and people who respect our earth and its creatures.
It is good to have the pictures out there where people can easily see them, maybe we can get some good old fashioned couriousity going and have more poeple in the woods being quiet.