February Summary

We had 408 unique observations submitted to the Nature Mapping database this month. To keep things short, here are a few main takeaways from February’s wildlife observations.

-As usual when the snow starts to pile up, moose and deer are all over residential parts of the Town of Jackson right now. This includes East Jackson, Cottonwood neighborhood, Melody Ranch and Rafter J. Both species are reported in broad daylight.

-In early February, elk were reported as far north as the Kelly Hills. More recently they have been seen on buttes around Town, in addition to the National Elk Refuge (NER).

-Wolves have been active on the NER this year. Morning is usually the best time to see them, with aid of a spotting scope.

-Flocks of Bohemian Waxwings and Red Crossbills were reported in Town. Rough-legged Hawks are regularly reported north of Town.

– The Whooper-Mute Swan Hybrid is back at Rafter J. This bird has returned in winter for years, but nobody knows where it spends its summers. ​If you see it during summer, please try and photograph it and let us know!

In case you missed it last month, here’s Hilary’s profile of Nature Mapping in Rafter J. This is a great case study of why Nature Mapping is important even in residential areas.