Category Archives: Wildlife

GVM on YouTube

Green Living, Land Stewardship, Uncategorized, Wildlife

Visitors to the GVM Ecology website are greeted on our Home Page with a video of our mountain neighborhood. Inheriting the opportunity to serve as the Webmaster has been an invitation for me to explore more deeply all the stories that have been shared over the years.

What I’ve discovered is a treasure trove of past videos, including views of our area and recordings of presentations over the years from our Speaker Series.

Want to hear the presentation about bird life in our neighborhood? Check it out!

Wondering what our weed management program is, and why it’s so important? Here’s Casey Cisneros, from Larimer County Department of Natural Resources.

You can explore the trail system near Glacier View Meadows, too.

While we’re enjoying the darker days and evenings of late spring, it’s a great time to explore the area from the comfort of your fireside.

Mule-deer Nibbled Ponderosa Tips

Field Monitoring, Forest Mgmt, White, Wildflowers, Wildlife

4/12/2012 Jim E sent this information along with photos, thanks Jim!  “Yesterday I happened to be walking along a game trail here in Glacier View Meadows and spotted a fairly newly wind-thrown ponderosa.  As I’d seen easily accessible branch tips nibbled on along Haystack Rd sometime ago, and didn’t know what did it, this seemed to clinch deer as the cause. The roots are extremely shallow as shown here. The trunk leading off to the left. Here’s the top of the tree showing easily reached – by deer – relatively palatable needles and branch tips.” Jim observed about a dozen piles of deer scat around the tree suggesting that deer are the culprits. He has sent an email to Mark from the Division of Wildlife to ask about mule deer forage habits.

“Finally, this closeup showing a couple plants of wild candytuft (Noccaea [formerly Thlaspi] montana) growing through the pile, which must have been laid before the spring-bloom season.  I’ve Olaus Murie’s 1958 classic, A Field Guide to Animal Tracks, that includes photos of droppings.  They show the winter feeding(or dry diet), and the soft type that results from green or succulent food in summer.  Maybe your folks can tell.”

Cow Moose Spotted at Gate 1

Wildlife

5/4/2010 Jim E. reported “~9p as I approached home last night along the Red Feather Lakes road just before Gate 1, I spotted a cow moose crossing in front of me! Definitely NOT an elk, as they tend not to be in this area; at least not the gangly critter I saw.”

Jim has documented additional moose sightings in GVM:

“And late summer of ’08 I saw a confused bull moose on Haystack Rd. below my house.  At 7a on September 10, I wrote in my journal: “A warm night—I could not believe my eyes as I looked out the front picture window—a large black moose—huge white antlers!  On the main road below.  He then trotted up the path to my neighbors.  Next he was out to the east in a meadow—fast mover.  What a joy!”
Jim continued, “Then last fall [2009], September 26th to be exact, I spotted large tracks on my driveway—either moose or, unlikely, elk.  I flagged down a neighbor, John, in his truck.  A retired forester, on seeing the tracks, he said they were either from a young cow or bull moose.”