The mysteries of ‘salmon day’ have yet to be revealed. So we’ll just amuse ourselves quietly while we wait. There’s a nice article from Wyoming and some new trail cam footage from the beaver pond in Massachusetts, and that should keep us busy enough.

Report details threats facing wildlife

JACKSON — When wildlife scientists ponder the ever-hazy future the best they know how, the prognosis for the animals and habitats that make Jackson Hole what it is today isn’t always bright.

“State of Wildlife” report, which has been in the works for several years, uses a model that identifies 10 “conservation targets,” which could be species, habitats or ecological processes, like migration. To complete the 107-page report Riginos and Clark mined dozens of studies from land managers and fellow scientists and consulted with 33 specialists.

Take beavers. Creators of wetlands, the giant rodents have declined by 80 percent since the middle of the 20th century where they make their home along the Snake River through the heart of the valley. Jackson Lake Dam’s annual theft of the peak springtime flows and associated flooding is a suspected cause, but the real reason is truly unknown, as is the future of the paddle-tailed swamp dweller.

These are some of the more grim insights from the “State of Wildlife in Jackson Hole,” a just-out report commissioned by the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. It was written by Nature Conservancy conservation scientist and ecologist Corinna Riginos and Frances Clark, a botanist who coordinates Nature Mapping Jackson Hole.

The report outlines guidelines for linking pasture land to reserve borders to give wildlife a space to exist, and suggests that there is still time to save the species in question. I’m glad the report is out there and reliably researched and issued, but I’m curious about the beaver part.. Even though they often lose when they cross human paths, beavers are pretty dam resilient. Think of them in Chernobyl or on the wastelands of Mt. St. Helen’s after the eruption. They seem to find their way in the world regardless of what the world throws at them.

Actually it makes me wonder what would have happened to the decimated beaver population if conservationists and concerned agencies across the nation had not undertaken to reintroduce them. I mean I’m glad they did and all, and love reading reports from fish and game saying nice things about beavers, but I’m beginning to think it might be egotistical to believe “WE” saved them from extinction.

Maybe would have recovered on their own given eventually?

Maybe by showing us that we can have an impact on wildlife, and seeing first hand that we have the capacity to both ruin and repair things – they are the ones who saved us.

Westhampton trail cam captures big bobcat, pair of coyotes and otter

WESTHAMPTON — The ice has been out in our little corner of the world for several weeks now. The wood ducks are back and beaver and otter are once again roiling the water. March is one of New England’s more capricious months, however, and there is a good chance those wood ducks will be waddling over ice a time or two before the month is out.

That certainly was the case a year ago when a wintry blast rolled through in the middle of the month. The trail cam Tvideo from that time is shown below. It’s one of my favorites because how often do you get to see a deer do a double-take at an ice-waddling duck?

Very nice! I think this is doing a great job of showing us what happens at a beaver pond.