Some more from Charles Wood

14 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, human behavior

It wasn’t until eight o’clock that one of my coyotes showed up as I looked east from the river bed.  It was trotting south along its usual road and I took its picture, titled “Who”.  That its ears are both fully erect suggests it isn’t Mom.  However it does appear to be a female coyote.  In the dim light I saw its progress down the road.  It trotted, stopped, marked, trotted, observed me and trotted out of sight.  I believe it went into the brushy area Mom and Dad probably used for their den this year.

My supposition is that other family members are in that brushy area at dusk.  Perhaps they meet there after solitary hunting earlier in the afternoon.  Perhaps some spend most of the day there.  The majority of their field was mowed for weed abatement a couple of weeks ago.  Currently three areas of good cover remain.  Those areas are connected by brushy corridors.  Should the coyotes want to travel unobserved between the three areas during daytime they certainly could.  Recently I spoke with a man who, as he walked along the river bed at dusk, observed several coyotes vocalizing in the den area.  I’ve yet to see that event.

I waited a quarter hour and then went to observe from the north for another quarter hour.  I then returned to my original vantage point.  My dog alerted and my flashlight revealed our escort, Mom.  She was closer to us than is usual for her.  I scanned the field with my flashlight and saw no other pairs of eyes.  I was disappointed.  I had hoped to witness a family gathering.  I left to return to my car, about a fifteen minute walk.  As I neared my car, from my coyotes’ field, I heard a chorus of happy yips.  Happy to be together and perhaps happy to have their space.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Apprehension About An Approaching Dog

14 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs

I watched this coyote catch a vole: voles are easy catches these days because they are so extremely plentiful. The coyote carried the vole to a little knoll where it began to chew. The coyote then stopped eating as its attention was suddenly pulled to the distance. I looked over to see two kids and their mom approaching, along with an active, unleashed Weimaraner. I walked towards them a little ways to let them know that a coyote was there. Rather than leash their dog, they turned around and went in the direction from which they had come. Weimaraners are large hunting dogs. I don’t know if the coyote had ever seen this particular dog before, but from the coyote’s reaction I would assume it had.

Upon seeing the dog, the coyote ceased eating and sat down with its eyes riveted on the dog. Then it began soft, barely audible grunting: I’m not sure I actually heard anything at all, but I could see the coyote’s throat moving with each small huff and the lips were somewhat pursed forwards. This kind of soft grunting is sometimes a prelude to a barking session — the barking session always is caused by the intrusion of a dog into a coyote’s space. So I knew the coyote felt intruded upon, possibly because the coyote had been eating so peacefully, even though the dog was well over 200 feet away. I watched the people and their dog leave and as they did so the coyote calmed down and then yawned. Before getting up to continue its search for additional voles, it just sat there staring into space — contentedly relaxed.

The dog never even saw the coyote so there was no chase, and there was no barking episode — but there easily could have been if the family and their unleashed dog had continued coming towards the coyote.

Coyote Picks A Fight With A Bolster

13 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, playing

Similar to Don Quixote and the Windmill, here is a juvenile coyote attacking a giant snake, so to speak. The coyote attacked, tugged at, pushed and bit this thing for about 45 seconds. It was a spirited and enthusiastic encounter, rivaled in intensity only by the frolicking play with its sibling. I have learned that coyotes love to play. They play with each other or they play alone. They play with sticks, with balls left by dogs, and even with, yes, dead rodents or snakes.

To Jump or Not To Jump

13 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior

The final decision, as can be seen here, was not to jump. “I’ll just go the other way!”

“Mom, Dad, and Two Pups” by Charles Wood

12 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, human behavior

Wednesday I returned to the river bank to look east for my coyotes.  I was pleased to see four show up.  Dad and two pups are pictured and Mom was a little too far to the right of the frame to include.  Aware of being watched, they stopped traveling.  Dad stared at me.  Several times Dad gazed in the direction they had been headed.  The two pups headed back in the direction from where they had come.  I was not able to see if Dad continued forward or if he went back south with the two pups.  Perhaps other pups had been traveling ahead of the four I saw and Dad went forward to be with them.  Mom did stay to sit and watch me.  Eventually she left to join her group to the south.

I waited a bit longer and went to the bridge to look south.  By then it was dark.  Soon they returned and my flashlight caused them to retreat south.  I followed them along the river bank.  I stopped to watch.  Two coyotes approached about 30 yards in my direction and began to bark and yip at me.  The voices did not sound like Dad’s.  One appeared to be dropping scat.  Still, they were at least 75 yards from me and I could not identify those two individuals.  My flashlight again caused them to retreat and hide in the brush.  After several more minutes it became clear that they were not to show themselves again.  They may have used cover and darkness to move past me and on to their destination.  I walked along the fence leading to the bridge hoping to provoke a display by Dad.  It did not so I went home.

Looking at Tuesday’s picture “DadMom” it is clear that one of the coyotes is indeed Mom, but the other is not Dad.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Togetherness While Hunting!

12 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, hunting, playing

These two coyotes were hunting close together when they seemed to happened upon the same vole. The perfect position for getting that vole was taken by one of the coyotes. The other one had to come in from the same side. The only place for it to do so effectively was from right on top of the other coyote!!  Of course, only one coyote got the prize, while the other looked on acceptingly. There was absolutely no fighting and the two seemed to enjoy the closeness that the situation produced. It was more akin to tumbling than hunting.

Some Coyote Gaits

12 Aug 2010 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior

Coyotes use many gaits or paces, including walking, trotting, loping, galloping, and bounding.  Speed is usually the determining factor for which gait is used. The term “gait” is usually used for horses: a rider sits a little differently for each gait. But the term is also used for other animals. Knowing what makes a “trot” a “trot” or a “walk” a “walk” might interest some people.

In a walk, the coyote lifts its legs in a regular sequence: left hind leg, left front leg, right hind leg, right front leg. One foot will always be raised and the other three feet on the ground. Walking can range from a slow and casual amble to a very purposeful and directed walk. In walking, the hind feet step into the footprints left by the forepaws. This appears to be a safety device which allows the back feet, which no animal can see, to step into the safe spot where the front foot had been. Thus holes and other ground features which might trip a coyote can be avoided. This “stepping into a footprint”  is only true for casual walking paces.

Trotting involves just two beats: the legs move in unison in diagonal pairs and hit the ground this way. Trotting is a normal gait for animals that must cover a lot of ground in their daily routines. This gait contributes to easy forward movement requiring a minimal amount of effort and can be sustained for long periods of time. Coyotes use this gait a lot.

Running is a high-energy gait, so it’s usually reserved for those times when the most speed is necessary: when pursuing prey or when pushed by fear. Running can be an easy lope, or a faster gallop.

Loping uses three beats — meaning that two legs hit the ground at the same time As the right rear leg propels the animal forward, the animal is supported only by this one leg while the other three legs move forward. Next, the animal catches itself on the left rear and right front legs while the other hind leg is still momentarily on the ground. On the third beat, the animal catches itself on the left front leg while the diagonal pair retains contact with the ground.

In galloping, the forefeet which are close together make firm contact the ground — they function as a fulcrum as the hind feet come far forward on either side of them. As the hind feet make contact together with the ground, the arched and tensed back muscles spring the coyote forward in an amazingly long leap. At the end of this leap, the forefeet again make contact with the ground, supporting the runner’s weight as its hind feet come forward again to either side, and so forth. In galloping the front legs hit almost but not exactly at the same time, and both back legs hit almost but not exactly at the same time, making galloping a four beat gait. Bounding would be the same as this but with more upward springing movements.

“Vocalizing”, by Charles Wood

11 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, human behavior

Tuesday I watched for my coyotes from the riverbed near dusk.  The alpha male and his female were together when they spotted me.  Yet Dad did not challenge me and soon left.  I did not see where he went.  Mom stayed behind to watch me for a few moments.  She soon headed east and hid in the brush on the south side.  I didn’t see her again and I did not see their pups.  I had also checked on them after dusk on Sunday.  Sunday I didn’t see the coyotes although I did hear them in the distance on the south side.  They were yipping, but I couldn’t tell how many were vocalizing.

After Mom hid Tuesday I tried to better hide myself to perhaps trick her out into the open again.  I tired of waiting and went instead to the bridge on the major street that is the northern border of their field.  To the north is a bountiful natural area I’ve confirmed they enter.  I stood looking down at the north exit of the underpass.  I hoped to see Mom, Dad or both pass through to the north.  I didn’t see either go through the underpass.  However, from the northeast, perhaps several hundred feet into the nature area, I heard the loud barks of one coyote.  The barks were mixed with high pitched yowls.  Such are the vocalizations I’ve heard from Dad as part of his territorial displays.  I did not hear other coyotes reply to the barks and yowls.  I suspect, of course, that Dad was the coyote that vocalized.  I also assume he was messaging his own kind.  The vocalizations stopped after several minutes.

I waited on the bridge to see if Dad would come trotting back south.  I did not see him do so.  Perhaps he commanded the right to remain north.  Perhaps he had stood his ground until the time was right for him to withdraw to the south.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Ups And Downs Of Life On The Rocks

11 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior

Here is another coyote lithely and quickly maneuvering the ups and downs of sheer escarpments. I became aware of the strength behind the movements, and the sure-footedness which allow a coyote to seemingly flow over the craggy rocks. This animal is flexible and very springy due to its very willowy build.  After watching, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the wide difference between this wild animal and our domestic dogs.

Invitation To Play Rejected

10 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, playing

I watched as a young coyote waited to ambush another. It was an invitation to play. The first slide here shows the second coyote apologizing — by sticking its tongue out: it is not going to accept the invitation. By the third slide the second coyote has actually moved up the hill. If the invitation had been accepted, the second coyote would have charged the one lying in ambush, or it would have crouched down in the same manner, or it would have begun running off so as to be chased. None of these occurred, so the first just stood up and walked on. The expected playtime was dashed.

Habitual Marking Spots

10 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in communication, coyote behavior

There are certain places that appear to be habitually marked. I’ve seen coyotes return to these same spots over and over again. They smell for messages, and then leave their own message there! We humans of course have little understanding of  what these messages are about, but we can make studied guesses. It seems pretty certain that a coyote can tell more than just WHO has been there. Even if the “messenger” happens to be unknown, the markings convey various states or modes that a known or unknown coyote might be in: a defensive state, an aggressive state, a fearful state or maybe even a contented “all is well” state. Age, sex and health may also be revealed.

This information can be conveyed because pheromones and other biochemicals which have flooded the body during these states are also excreted and become “messages” or “tell-tale evidence” when a knowing nose sniffs the “marked” area. We need to give animals much more credit for what they know and what they can find out.

Volumes of Voles

08 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, hunting

In the Bay Area, the unusual weather pattern has produced a bumper crop of voles. I saw this coyote pick up three voles in a row — by the time one was chewed and had gone down the hatch, the coyote had only to look down at the ground to grab its next one: it was like picking fruit off of a tree. The chewing process involves a point at which the coyote needs to a crush hard — the effort often causes them the squnch up their faces and close their eyes.

As we have found out, and are now being taught, it is always a good idea to attempt to fight your attacker off: this has proven to be very effective for humans who have been ambushed by mountain lions. Well, today I saw a little vole take the one-second chance he was given, to flip out of the coyote’s toothsome grasp. The lucky vole fell right next to a burrow opening, and down it scurried, deeply, not to be found again by this coyote: notice the coyote is sticking its nose as far down as possible into the vole’s burrow in the 6th photo.

This year there appears to be a huge bumper-crop of voles. I have never seen so many voles darting across the pathways in front of me as I walked in a park: I have seen 3-6 at once scurrying around within a blink of the eye. I watched a vole sit only 5 feet from me, either totally unconcerned or oblivious. When I got to within 2 feet of it, I wondered if blindness could be involved — but just then the vole scurried down a vole hole. We have not seen this type of vole behavior before. The rain pattern is quite different each year in this area. This year we had regular rain consistently for several months, whereas more typical would have been extreme rains with dry spells in-between. The regular rains this year helped plants proliferate which might not have otherwise. With the abundance of plants, the voles went to work reproducing: the signals from nature were that it would be one of plant abundance. But the rains stopped, and most of the foliage dried up, leaving a plethora of voles with a minimal amount of food to live on. So instead of remaining hidden in their burrows or in tall grasses, they have come out to the open to search for what they can. It is these voles that are feeding our coyotes so well.

“Foiled Again”, by Charles Wood

07 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, human behavior

Friday I observed from riverbank facing towards the east.  A chain link fence borders their field and the riverbed.  I had a good view of the roads to the underpass.  I hoped to see Mom head north, return south and gather her family to all head north.  North of their field is an inviting nature area.  My theory is Mom scouts that area before committing to take her brood there.  The riverbed is much farther from them and I hoped, if even noticed, to be ignored.  I waited and watched for Mom to appear.  Instead, Dad spotted me and began his approach.  He marked, scraped dirt, and worked himself up for his charge up to the fence.  He back off some.  Mom then joined him to wait for me to depart.  I departed.  If I am correct about dusk being their time to scout north, dusk has apparently also become their time to scout for me.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Cliff Hopping Agility

06 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior

A coyote’s ability to scale sheer cliffs is incredible: the ascent is achieved with quickness and ease. Most of the time they seem to fly over all the crevices and steepness. But a few times I have watched them actually stop in search of solid footing before continuing on.

Exquisite Expressiveness

05 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, curiosity

Today a friend wanted to sit up on some rocks as we waited for another friend. So we climbed up and sat down. One of the dogs was with us and sat on the other side with my friend after being told firmly to do so. As I was climbing up, this very expressive coyote appeared, with its full attention and curiosity fixed on the dog. Unfortunately I could not see the dog nor its expressions. I have no idea about the eye contact between the two. But I did have full view of the coyote and was able to capture its open inquisitiveness, curiosity and obvious draw to the dog seated on the other side of the rock.

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