Peter J. Wasson pwasson@ashlanddailypress.net, Dec 6, 2023
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Scientists at Northland College have documented perhaps the first American marten on Madeline Island in more than a century.

In conjunction with assessing wildlife species and populations, the Wild Madeline and APIS projects also monitor white-tailed deer behavior. This is done through an arduous tagging process that records how each deer is behaving in each photo. Our goal is to see how deer act in the presence or absence of predators like coyotes or wolves. We tag deer behavior by determining whether they have their heads up or down, if they are foraging, vigilant or interacting, and if they are staring into the camera. And this is done for each deer in every photo — that's a lot of photos! So, for this particular photo, both deer would have their head up and would be marked as “camera stares”. We don’t know what makes them stare at the camera, but it does happen from time to time.  This photo is particularly interesting because male deer are usually not seen near fawns as male deer play no role in fawn rearing. Is this fawn the offspring of the buck? Why did the doe allow this buck to get so close to the fawn? Is this just a chance encounter captured on camera? These are questions we have but will likely never know the answers to.  Photo captured July 30, 2022…

Just like their coloring, blue jays are bold little creatures. Cyanocitta cristata coloration doesn’t come from pigments, it actually comes from the internal structure of the feathers. So, if a blue jay's feather is crushed, the bright blue will be gone because the structure would be destroyed. These birds can also learn to mimic different sounds — in some cases even human speech. For example, blue jays have been known to mimic local hawks' cries, they can be so good at it that you might not even be able to tell a difference! Photo captured October 15, 2022…

Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus, get their name from their large hind feet. Their hind feet act as snowshoes keeping the hare from sinking into the snow when they’re hopping around. They also have fur on the soles of their feet to protect them from freezing temperatures. Another interesting tidbit about snowshoe hare’s appearance is their camouflage coat. During the winter their fur turns white to match the snow and in the summer their coat turns a rusty brown color.  Click read more to see photos captured July 29, 2022 and April 5, 2023…

Dryocopus pileatus, also known as a pileated woodpecker, is the largest extant (living) woodpecker in North America. We occasionally detect pileated woodpeckers on our trail cameras and when we do – it is always a special treat. Pileated woodpeckers are social animals. They form bonds with one another, and bonded pairs stay together all year. They are also defensive of their territory. To claim their territory, they perform a drumming show on a hollow log or tree trunk – or even a human structure - to project their drum and let other pileated woodpeckers know that this area is their turf. Oh, and pileated woodpeckers have extremely long tongues given their body size - approximately 3.9 inches or one third of their body length! Click read more to see photos captured August 25–27, 2022…

The American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, can often be mistaken for a bird when projecting their alarm and bark calls. Other than being loud, they are also very good swimmers! In fact, one researcher observed a red squirrel swimming in Lake Superior up to a mile away from the nearest island. It’s likely that red squirrels are able to move between the islands of the Apostle Islands archipelago by swimming and, perhaps, occasionally crossing ice bridges in winter. Photo captured August 27, 2022…

Did you know that a raccoon can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees? This is so that they can climb down headfirst from trees. The scientific name for the common raccoon is Procyon lotor, which translates to “washer dog,” even though they are more closely related to bears. That nickname may have come about because raccoons are known to occasionally wash their food before they eat it, and if there isn’t water near, they may rub it in debris. Click READ MORE to see film clip from June 20, 2022…

This is an example of what NOT to do when you spot a trail camera. Although, this American black bear’s curiosity is entertaining to watch. This bear could have smelled our scent from when we were there installing the cameras since their sense of smell is seven times more sensitive than a dogs! This is part of the reason why we use “bear” boxes to protect our cameras. Even with bear boxes we had one camera that was destroyed by a black bear that bit the camera and its canine teeth punctured the lens and flash – ruining the camera. Click READ MORE to see film clip from August 26, 2022…

By Erik R Olson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources, Northland College
We have had a long winter, and mosquito season is just around the corner. Last summer our research team, myself and my two research assistants, Sydni Bennette and Bridget Stroede, set out to install camera traps for the Wild Madeline Revival Project. Despite clouds of mosquitos chasing us through the woods, high humidity, and a good thunderstorm, we were able to install all the camera traps over a two-day window. We bushwhacked, sprayed plenty of mosquito repellent, ate food around a campfire in Big Bay State Park, enjoyed a sunset on the beach, bird watched, waded through wetlands, and used a road bike and van to shuttle ourselves between sites. While checking one camera, I saw a coyote busting through marshland vegetation with a gosling in its mouth — explaining the racket of honks I had heard only moments prior. The coyote ran within 30 yards of us, mouth full of gosling. Surprised by my presence it bolted deeper into the marsh. We definitely had an adventure.

This elegant sandhill crane, Grus canadensis, may seem like a strange sight for a forest habitat, but this crane is likely one of the cranes nesting in the boggy wetlands of the Big Bay lagoon. Perhaps it was out for a stroll to find some food for dinner. If you were on the island this past summer, you probably heard their ancient rattling call from the lagoon area. Click READ MORE to see film clip from July 12, 2022…

Hoot! Hello all! Here we have a juvenile Great-horned Owl, Bubo virginianus. At six weeks old, Great-horned Owls will begin to practice flying, but they'll have to wait four to six more weeks to lose their down feathers. After six months, they should fully be on their own, searching for a new territory and mate. Click READ MORE to see film clip from July 29, 2022…

Some may think coyotes, Canis latrans, were put on this earth to be the tricksters of the natural world. This is not the case, they happen to be an essential part of our ecosystems. Coyotes are relatively common on Madeline Island. Click READ MORE to see film clip from June 28, 2022…

You may know them from running in front of your car or eating your bird seed, I’m talking about white-tailed deer! Or, to us science folk, Odocoileus virginianus. Click READ MORE to see film clip from July 9, 2022…

Despite all the bugs, thunderstorms, and hot weather, all the camera traps for the Wild Madeline project have been installed! We are delighted to announce that the cameras are up and taking photos as you read this. Professor Erik Olson of Northland College, and his research assistants, Sydni Bennette and Bridget Stroede, ventured out to Madeline Island in mid-June to install the cameras. They can’t wait to share the photos and new insights they gain with all of you!