The Coyotes ate well.
-
Yellowstone Scene
An American Bison looking nonplussed as it stands in front of the iconic Beartooth Mountains.
-
Hazy Curlew
For my followers who aren’t into all of the Yellowstone content, a Long-Billed Curlew doing its thing in front of some foggy cliffs.
-
Coyote on Ice
The other Coyotes trotted across the frozen marsh, but this one wasn’t having it. She paced back and forth to find the perfect spot, and then picked her way across the ice before running to catch up with the others.
-
Rainy Day Hunt
I rarely see Bobcats in the rain. The only other time I saw it, the poor cat was absolutely drenched as it headed towards cover. This time, there was a light drizzle the day after an absolute downpour. The Bobcat was out putting up with a stiff wind and light drizzle, probably making up for time lost to the previous day’s storm.
Fediverse Reactions
-
Chance Encounter
I was out for a hike when I came around a corner and found myself face to face with this American Bison. I’m not sure who was more surprised to see whom. After making sure nobody was about to make any sudden moves, we eased past each other and continued on our walks.
Fediverse Reactions
-
Roll Call
I found this Coyote browsing a hillside late in the afternoon. It soon settled down for a brief nap. I settled in at a respectful distance to see what would happen next. There’s no point approaching Coyotes to try to get a photo. That’s very unusual behavior for most humans, and a suspicious Coyote defaults to running away.
When I heard the Coyotes further up the hillside start to howl and yip, I knew my patience would be rewarded. I hear Coyotes calling regularly, but I’ve rarely gotten to witness it, and never with a camera in hand.
-
Watch for Oncoming Coyotes
Late last year, I spent a few days camping on Angel Island, one of the most recent spots colonized by Coyotes in the Bay Area. The first Coyote arrived in 2017, and howled across the bay until a mate made the swim. The Coyotes wasted no time, producing their first litter in 2019. These dogged ecosystem engineers are already leaving their mark on Angel Island, keeping the raccoon and deer population in check.
-
Keeping Cool
An elephant seal covers itself in sand to cool off. Elephant seals spend most of their lives in the ocean, regularly diving thousands of feet deep to feed. They’re adapted to survive in deep frigid waters as cold as a few degrees above freezing, sporting a thick blubber layer and no sweat glands. When they haul out on beaches to breed, they regulate their temperature through active cooling, flipping cool damp sand onto their backs to cool off and block the sun.
-
Beach Bird
I’ve seen lots of photos of Great Blue Herons on the beach, but for whatever reason around here I don’t typically see them in the surf, feeding on ocean organisms. This particularly heron was imitating the curlews and digging up invertebrates from the sand.
Fediverse Reactions