Norman Bird Sanctuary may be cold this February, but that doesn’t stop our educators from studying nature! Since December 2023, I have been conducting a trail cam survey with my Terra-corps comrade, Elijah DaSilva, to see what kind of wildlife is still roaming around at opposite ends of the sanctuary. We selected three trails that highlight different ecosystems for the trail cameras.
We have been seeing mostly mammals and birds, with the most commonly observed species being (surprise surprise) white-tailed deer. More information about what exactly we’ve spotted and how many of each species will be coming soon, so look out for a full breakdown of the survey this March!
One of the more interesting things we have observed in the last few months is a perfect Valentine’s Day story. Through this study we have found a pair of raccoons that have been buddy-buddy all winter. Multiple cameras have picked up these two running around the sanctuary at night and in the early morning.
The raccoons, nicknamed Bonnie and Clyde, are definitely spending Valentine’s Day together this year. The behavior we’ve observed in the pair makes sense for raccoons, who tend to huddle against the harsh elements, hunting and defending together against predators and sharing food. Mating season can start as soon as January so it seems Bonnie & Clyde could be starting cuffing season early. But whatever the reason these two are hanging out this winter, I think we can all agree it’s pretty darn cute.
