President’s Column

This past month I was able to get out and do some field work on our local marten project. The American marten is a cat-sized member of the weasel family. The local Humboldt subspecies Martes americana humboldtensis currently appears limited in its range to deep, steep canyons between Orleans and Gasquet. Its numbers may never have been very large and may have been reduced by fur trapping before 1942. Many surveys conducted in the area between 1990 and 1997 revealed only the presence of fisher, a larger cousin of the marten. In 1997 the first track identified as that of a marten was found, and subsequent remote camera surveys were able to confirm its presence. As recently as 1996 it was feared that this population was extinct.

The week I spent in the field was wonderful. Temperatures ranged from the low 70’s during the day to the low 50’s at night. Monday’s cloud-shrouded sunset was deep red. We had a slight sprinkle the next morning, not even enough to settle the dust. Wildlife was in abundance. Berries were ripe on the salal and huckleberry bushes and the conifers had a good cone crop. We saw a healthy black bear on the first morning and numerous bear scats on the roads indicated that bears were feasting on the berries. Blue Grouse and Ruffed Grouse were along the roads and in the trees. Flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons, Robins and Varied Thrushes were abundant, especially in the lower areas. We heard several Clark’s Nutcrackers along the ridges. Two Northern Pygmy-owls serenaded us morning and evening. Mixed finch flocks were everywhere- Pine Siskins, American Goldfinches, and Red Crossbills. Apparently a mineral deposit was attracting the crossbills near our camp as flocks of seven to ten flew down from the trees and pecked in the dirt beneath a buckwheat plant. Another highlight of the week was seeing a mother and two nearly grown cub mountain lions as we headed back toward camp one evening.