Something is a foot

Perspective is every thing! A new camera and a different angle of view makes a lot of difference when trying to photograph Coyotes.

OH – and the bait as well.

In the past this blog has stressed what not to do such as leaving bird feeders unattended, letting debris and litter stack up on the ground. It draws bait – er . . I mean rodents and small game such as the rabbit pictured above.  As it turns out there are also plants that have seed and seed pods left over from the past summer.  This author has discovered that these seed sources not only draw small four legged game but birds as well.  Unfortunately, the birds draw household cats (pets maybe).  The trail camera kept recording cats but those random pictures just did not seem appropriate for a blog about Coyotes.  Talk about the wrong perspective!  Several articles presented here reflect that cats, along with small dogs are often Coyote fodder. But that is a story for another edition.  Back to the pictured rabbit.  Seems the Coyote was hot on the scent of the rabbit!  Several pictures show the rabbit then a few minutes later, the Coyote shows up with his nose to the ground as seen in the above picture.  Yes, one photo is dated several days before giving the impression the Coyote was a bit early.  Let us just say that they did cross paths and there is now one less rabbit in the neighborhood.  Last evening several Coyotes were howling away down by the river.  Maybe, it was because there is a newcomer to the Coyotes, an owl.

This bad boy (girl?) stood about two feet high and in flight, appeared to have a six foot wing span. The lighting was not what is pictured, it was actually late sunset / early evening. Very limited lighting at best.  For you photographers out there – Canon Rebel T3i, F 3.5, telephoto lens at 200mm and shutter speed around 125.  Post processing to clean up noise and finally, cropped to the subject.  OK – it was not the trail camera but who said wildlife was going to be on the trail camera only?  The Coyote Cam is attempting an improved photography mode in the coming months.  The advanced mode should drastically improve quality.

How was your Thanksgiving?

I hope it was a good one!

Stay tuned – there is more to come from the Coyote Cam.

Pumpkins and Autumn Leaves

Where has the time gone? In the last column this author noted that Halloween marks the beginning of a new episode in the life cycle of Coyotes.  Many of you will recall the cartoon character Wiley E. Coyote.  Born under the pen of Chuck Jones, Warner Brother’s Animation Department in 1948 Wiley Coyote celebrates his 68th birthday this year.  This blogger recalls his childhood days watching many ill fated chase scenes wherein the Coyote was this close to catching his arch nemesis the Roadrunner.  Unlike his real life counterpart Wiley E. Coyote resorted to all kinds of notorious means to catch the Roadrunner but frequently found himself blown-up and face down in the dirt!  It seems we may have a bit of Wiley E. Coyote in the Coyote Cam.  The original camera departed this earth several years ago and was replaced by Coyote Camera II.  Coyote Camera II crashed for unknown reasons this past summer and it too, was replaced.  Coyote Camera III started operating independently and was sent in for repairs as was briefly mentioned in a prior posting.  Coyote Camera III is now reported as missing in transit.  Apparently, Coyote Camera III was being shipped home along with someone’s New Year’s Fireworks Show when disaster struck. The shipping company reports the shipping trailer blew up following a wreck.  Local reporters said the inferno put on quite a show and that there was an extensive debris field surrounding the crater where the truck and trailer exploded.

One of the regular followers of the Coyote Cam sent the following link, give it a look.  “Coyote” by Don Williams.  Really expresses the true state of our favorite four legged varmint.  The Coyote has been around the United States for a long time, it has not only survived its prairie peers, it has thrived.  Many followers know that the Coyote began its life in the west central part of the continental United States and expanded its territory from coast to coast and as far north as Alaska and south into Central America.  This blog attempts to capture stories related to Coyotes and over the years of watching the internet has seen a rise in Coyote and human interactions.  Many city dwellers seem horrified when a Coyote is seen walking down a city street while urbanites tend to be less emotional, at least that is the perspective this author perceives.  It is not that urbanites are less attuned to the Coyote’s proximity but that they and rural citizens know it is easier to maintain a balance, the Coyote population will adjust to its environment.  More food, more Coyotes.  Less food, fewer Coyotes!  But it is not just the food that makes it easy or hard for Coyote survival, it is the presence of a habitat.  Food can be scouted out as long as there is a den for family life not far away.  Hard life has taught the Coyote many lessons and Mother Nature has provided the Coyote an innate sense of reproduction.

Oh Yeah – the latest Coyote Cam arrived (number IV), I am some what concerned as there are burn marks on one edge! At any rate, it was put up today, Friday the 11th of November.  There may or may not be pictures for the bi-weekly publication of the blog due out the 15th.  We will see, my bet is that a Coyote will show up and the camera will not catch it.  Kind of a reversal on Wiley E. Coyote if you catch the inference?

Stay tuned, there is more to come on the Coyote Cam – maybe.

Every one have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!