Research Camera Pictures at Radnor Lake State Natural Area 2016
Pictured above: Beaver Hut on Otter Creek Road at Radnor Lake 2016. Pix by S. Ward
As part of our on-going resource management and environmental education work at Radnor Lake, the park ranger staff periodically uses motion sensor cameras in the natural area during different seasons of the year.
Funded by a grant through Friends of Radnor Lake in 2004, these cameras enable the ranger staff to offer insight into some of the lesser seen (nocturnal) mammals of the lake. Pictures are captured by motion sensors during the day and nighttime and enable expanded interpretation in our efforts to protect the natural area. These images also provide information such as air temperature, time of day/night and date for storage of these images for research in the future.
In addition, the research cameras provide data for research with higher education partners such as Dr. Loeb from Penn State University regarding vegetative changes due to beavers at the natural area.
The photos shown are from two cameras that were set up along Otter Creek Road near the east end of the lake in the vicinity of a new beaver hut under construction. While rarely seen during the daytime, these cameras provide us a glimpse into the nighttime habits of the beaver population at Radnor Lake along with some other mammals around the lake.
As you can tell by the photos, there are always a few unexpected surprises when the ranger staff review/download these camera images. While not seen on a regular basis, one series of pix captures 4 otters playing on the closed roadway on Otter Creek Road inside of the natural area. Another photo shows a native bobcat prowling down Otter Creek Road.
In 2016, Radnor Lake State Natural Area is partnering with Friends of Radnor Lake to create a new interpretive display case at the Walter Criley Visitor Center that will expand upon the different mammals of the lake which will include research pictures such as the ones illustrated below.