As a science journalist, I receive multiple press releases every day. Their topics can range from food recalls from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the launch of a new camera that detects dark energy to new genetic research about how a rare cheetah got its stripes. Some catch my attention and others are easily deleted. Some, I'm afraid, get missed completely.

Luckily, this was not the case with an innocent-looking press release sent from the Stanford News Service to our KQED Science News inbox back in early June, 2012. The header was, "Caught on tape: The nightlife of animals at Stanford's Jasper Ridge preserve". I was intrigued. Ever since I had the chance to track mountain lions in the Santa Cruz mountains with researcher Chris Wilmers who employs motion-activated cameras to "trap" his elusive prey, I've been interested in this technology.

coyote x2 — A pair of coyotes walk by one of the camera traps at Jasper Ridge. Video still courtesy of Stanford News Service

The solar-powered cameras at Stanford's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve – a 1,200 acre research site located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, 3 miles west of the Stanford campus- automatically record video or photographs when a creature is in the vicinity; night vision means the scientists never miss a moment. The researchers have an opportunity to observe animals going about their usual business, away from the world of human disturbance.The animals seem so comfortable walking around in the shroud of darkness and with the possible exception of the curious deer, so completely unaware that they are being watched by a bunch of scientists.

Deer eye — A curious deer inspects the motion-activated camera at Jasper Ridge. Video still courtesy of Stanford News Service.

The video press release, produced by Steve Fyffe of the Stanford News Service, gives us a sense of the great diversity of wildlife at Jasper Ridge through secret footage of bobcats, deer, mountain lions, hummingbirds, skunks, coyotes, opossum, jackrabbits and several others. It's fun to think about all these wild animals roaming around a few miles away from the Stanford campus.

Fyffe has also interviewed the researchers who are using the camera traps to learn more about the behavior of the creatures of interest to them. Assistant Professor Tadashi Fukami studies hummingbirds. The cameras have allowed his team to make subtle observations they had missed before. "By using the cameras we realized that hummingbirds like to go to the unopened flowers," Fukami said. "We used to assume that they waited for the flowers to bloom, but they like to poke into unopened flowers to get fresh nectar."

Hummingbird_2 turn_scale — A hummingbird feeds on nectar at Jasper Ridge. Video still courtesy of Stanford News Service.

Videos and photos are instantaneously uploaded, thanks to a new wireless network infrastructure that covers almost the entire preserve.

[ad fullwidth]

Jasper Ridge Data Manager, Trevor Hebert says the cameras and wireless infrastructure have been invaluable to researchers. "The video cameras are actually giving us a kind of view of a world that is close by, but that we just don’t see."

Bobcat — A bobcat triggers a motion-activated camera at Jasper Ridge. Video still courtesy of Stanford News Service.

cameracamera

Peregrine Falcon Chicks Hatch On Easter Sunday in San Jose

Your Videos on QUEST: Steve Fyffe

Your Photos on QUEST: Rogelio Bernal Andreo

Our Latest 'Your Photos on QUEST' Contest Winner: Harold Davis

Producer's Notes: Randy Davis on Your Photos on Quest

Kids Take Aim in Cal Academy Photo Contest

Pixels are so 20th century - say hello to 'spaxels'

Converting the Comets Back into Stars