PortalRidge
This mother successfully kept her kittens safe through the Lake Fire in 2020. Now they use unburned habitat, protected for them by Transition Habitat Conservancy and property owners who value them.
The Squirrel Chasers by Dan Potter
They were about one year old here. We got to watch these kittens grow and learn to hunt, mostly by chasing squirrels up big pine trees at the spring. They've shown up on cameras a couple of times since reaching adulthood and becoming solitary so they are still using this area as part of their home range.
After a nice venison meal, all cats big or small take the time to properly wash their paws.
Having outgrown her spots, this young lion is almost an adult capable of surviving on her own.
Danger at the Birdbath by Dan Potter
Water sources in the desert make for uneasy truces. This toad might have been able to safely enjoy the soak if he didn't move until the bobcat left. We'll never know what happened after the light went out though!
Hooktail, Mother of Kittens by Dan Potter
Hooktail is a female we've watched for several years. Her tail has a distinct curl at the end that we can always see. On this warm night she was headed for a drink of water at one of the natural springs on the conservancy.
A magnificent mule deer buck in the dappled light of fall when the air starts to cool.
Garfield has ruled a large territory that includes Portal Ridge for many years. He's a huge mountain lion whose tracks are the biggest we've ever measured. He doesn't patrol through here often but when he does he leaves scrapes all over the place to let any other males know they should keep away.
This was during the night Garfield and Arnold got into a fight. Garfield was in pursuit and very alert. He gave the younger lion a stern 'talking to' but took a couple hits himself.
Possibly the son of Garfield, Arnold is another large male lion who is a bit younger. He's the only male brave enough to sneak through once in a while. These two got in a battle in the spring of 2020 that left each of them with a couple of new scars.
This magnificent beast is our newest addition to the roster of lions we've photographed. Jack lives farther north from Portal Ridge, up near Tehachapi. We haven't gotten a good track measurement but he definitely rivals Garfield in size.