I've been on the trail of a porcupine, I believe, recently:

















Any other trackers, here? If you will, please show us what you've found.

Awesome pics, Laurie. I love porkies. 'Course I don't have dogs at the moment...

Cool pics. Those porcupines really do a number on those trees!

Yes, I like to look at animal tracks, I'm glad we finally got some snow on the ground around here. It's cool to walk around and see the tracks of animals that you know are there all the time but hardly ever see. Helps you figure out their habits as well so that you can have a better chance of seeming them later on.

Some great finds today- lots of trails and was able to get close to some of the trees used by the porcupine(s):




niptwig


teethmarks!

over...


under...


?

Here's a little something different:

I heard they're good eats!

The trees? Yes, they certainly seem to be!

Around here, the first suspect would be the pileated woodpecker. Who do you figure is doing the excavating, Laurie?

There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

I have been looking at sticks all week as am I making a crook.

I would expect a pileated woodpecker, too, John. The tree's been in this condition quite awhile, though- I'm not sure it's still an active excavation site - haven't yet caught anyone working there- I'll keep an eye out, though. Found something near the porcupine trees the other day that had me wondering if the woodpecker and porcupine use the same trees (I don't see why not but can't remember what I read on the matter )- there's the smaller woodpecker around, too, (downy? not sure) and I see those fairly regularly and hear them knocking, too.

Sorry for the lack of clarity in the following pic- I caught this bird at the bird feeders recently- I thought it was a woodpecker- can anyone confirm?



Nearby tree:

Nuthatch? ( http://www.theweathernetwork.com/your_we....../1/20461 )

I thought s/he seemed bigger, though.

Looks a little like a belted kingfisher to me.

Hey! : http://www.northrup.org/photos/white-breasted-nuthatch/

What you think?

Grey squirrels perhaps.

Very likely a nuthatch.

From the link above: "The White-breasted Nuthatch be found throughout most of the United States and southern Canada for most of the year. This is a darling smallish bird with great balance and hanging skills. It can often be found walking upside down on branches or tree trunks, often causing me to momentarily mistake it for a woodpecker."

Definately a nuthatch, I see them all the time. The belted kingfisher is 4-5X times that size, and is long gone for the winter by now that far north.

White breasted nuthatch for sure. The red-breasted are darker and much smaller. Do you have any other nuthatches in your neck of the woods, Laurie?

Love the pictures. I wish I had taken photos back when I had a raccoon friend living on my back porch. He was very friendly as was better than a watch dog at keeping strangers at bay.

Happy New Year!

Bob

Thankyou, all! Not sure about other nuthatches here, John, but likely.
Happy New Year to you, too, Bob! My mother used to feed stray and feral cats out here and as I've mentioned on the " " thread, I think, it followed naturally the raccoons were dining with the cats. Many great opportunities but never got any photos of the coons- this was before the advent of the very convenient digital camera.