2025
Winter Animal Tracking
Thursday, January 16: 5:30 pm at the Northfield (MA) public library
A slide program in the library’s community room will introduce the basics of finding, identifying and interpreting the tracks and other sign left behind by wild animals in the winter. A separate outdoor walk will be scheduled at that time depending on expected snow cover.
The library is loc
ated on Main Street (Rte. 63) just north of the town center. The community room is on the bottom floor. The program is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required. The program is co-sponsored by the Dickenson Memorial Library and the Northfield Bird Club. It is supported by a grant from the Northfield Cultural Council through funding by the Massachusetts Cultural Counc
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All About Otters
Friday, April 4, 2025 at the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environment Center. 
A slide/video/cast program will introduce the hidden lives of these charismatic mammals: how they live and what they live on. Animal tracking techniques for detecting the presence of these water-loving creatures will be discussed including distinguishing tracks, scats, haul-outs and other sign. A video, “Otters Etcetera,” will show these animals in action along with others that inhabit our local waters
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Programs will be posted in this location as sponsoring organizations request them. Check back frequently for additions.
Programs currently available for sponsoring organizations:
Below is a list of standard programs that are currently available for presentation. The tone of all programs is suitable for adults and motivated teens 13 and up. The programs are modified according to the season of presentation. Sponsors need to provide program space and a multi-media projector as well as table space for a display. If no multi-media projector is available, a version of most programs can be substituted using an on-site large-screen TV and/or the presenter’s own 35mm slide projector. Books and cards by David Brown will be available for inspection and sale to program attendees. Please contact info@dbwildlife.com for additional information and to reserve.
Beaver Pond Wildlife. This program provides information on the large diversity of wildlife associated with beaver ponds and the wetland habitat these animals create. A slide selection displays the tracks and sign of many animals that live in and around beaver ponds but may remain hidden from the casual human visitor. The program includes a 25 minute video, Beaver Pond Wildlife, and a cast display. A subsequent visit to a beaver pond, if available, may be arranged. 1½ hours. Indoor: $200. With a walk: $300. Offered year round.
Warbler Madness. This program shows the diversity of wood warblers that can be observed in our area, either as residents or spring/fall migrants. Although colorful these birds are small and often hard to see. The program will show how to identify them visually and by sound. It culminates in a 22 minute video showing 26 species and their songs at close range. 1½ hours. Indoor: $200. With a walk: $300. Most suitable for early spring.
Hawks! Every fall a dozen species of hawks and falcons migrate through our area on their way to their southern wintering ranges. In this period these normally secretive birds rise above the treetops to take advantage of wind currents and so can be seen by alert observers. This video-based program shows how to identify these raptors in flight and includes recommendations for local hawk-watching sites and the weather conditions that provide for large flights. Can be done as one or two programs each with a 25 minute videotape. 1½ hours each. Indoor only. $200 per program. Most suitable for late-summer, early fall.
What’s Been Crossing Your Backyard? Many ‘wilderness species’ have been quietly infiltrating built-up areas over the last few decades. However, many of these animal hide from us, roaming our neighborhoods only after dark. This slide program concentrates on the tracks and sign of species that are most comfortable living close to us so that their presence can be detected after the fact. Distinguishing their tracks and trails from those of our pets is also covered. Slides and cast display. No video. Can be conducted with or without a multi-media projector. 1½ hours. $200. Most suitable for the winter season.
Winter Wildlife Tracking. This program surveys the tracks, trails and sign of mammals and birds found in New England during the winter season. Many charismatic species are covered including bears, bobcats, foxes and coyotes. 1 ½ hours. Can also be done as a 35mm slide program without a multi-media projector. Slides and cast display. No video. $200 for indoor only. With walk: $300. Most suitable for the winter season.
Summer Tracks and Sign. This is the 3-season version of the above program. It concentrates on the kind of wildlife evidence that can be found without snow. This sign can be very subtle, often hiding in plain sight as it blends with the background. This program can be conducted with or without a multi-media projector. Slides and cast display. A 25 minute video, Otters Etcetera, is often shown with this program. $200 for indoor program. With a walk: $300. Most suitable for late spring and summer.
All About Otters. This is a slide and video program which investigates the hidden lives of this charismatic species. Identifying tracks and other sign of this animal’s presence and habits will be covered. Included is a 20-minute video, “Otters Etcetera” that shows these animals at close range along with other wildlife with which they interact. The indoor program is $200. The program may be combined with an outdoor program, visiting a local wetland in search of their sign. Combined with the indoor program, the total fee is $300.
Other programs. The above listing is for programs that have been successfully conducted in the past. However, new programs can also be designed to respond to an organization’s needs, drawing on a collection of over 5000 images and many hours of wildlife videotape. Other videos currently available for inclusion in programs: Birds of Spring, Birds of Summer, North Country Birds and Birds of the Brownfield Bog, Hawks and Otters Etcetera.
Answer to the tracking problem on the Encounters page:
These tracks were left by a mink. Like other members of the weasel family, minks show 5 registering toes on both front and hind feet. Because the front feet of a mink support the weight of the animal’s head, the toes of the front feet tend to splay more widely than the hind. Thus, in this pattern the two lower prints are the front feet and the two upper the rear. Although the front prints are larger than the hind, the feet themselves are all nearly the same size. Mink tracks are sometimes confused with those of a similar sized squirrel or other rodent. Note, however, the arch formed by the toes on the mink’s foot. On a squirrel the middle three toes are arranged side-by-side in a straight line. The gait of the mink in the photo is a “slow rotary lope,” a running gait with a rocking horse appearance. This is the typical gait of most mustelids when traversing a firm surface. Mink tracks are most often found on the sandy or muddy shore of a pond or stream since their prey is mostly fish and crawfish. However, they also hunt away from water, exploring stonewalls and other likely hiding spots for small rodents. Fierce predators, they may take down a bird the size of a duck.