Tag Archives: mother

I'll let Amy Ruegg tell the story.

Amy wrote, “Saturday night 7/27/24 while we were watching the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, at about 10:15 or so, Sydney [the dog] barked loudly twice in a way she hadn't before and jumped to the balcony railing with a growl. We brought our brightest flashlights out and there were four sets of glowing reflective eyes shining back at us. Eric's flash photography revealed the mother Mountain Lion - huge and muscular - and three Cubs about the size of Bobcats with spots still on their coats. The lions were not fearful. They remained for maybe 15 minutes or so. We think they may have been getting a drink from the spring behind our house.

“The next morning, a gathering of Turkey Vultures was assembled on trees and ground nearby, possibly indicating the site of a kill from the night before. We think the mother Mountain Lion may have made a kill, perhaps a Fawn or other animal, then led her Cubs to the water for a drink. After several minutes, she moved leisurely on into the night.”

Amy said the Deer were absent the next day, but returned on Monday. Amy wrote further, “If you watch nature very closely, you will see these subtle clues. With the Deer back in the neighborhood, I am pretty certain the Mountain Lion family has moved on."

Amazing! Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photos with you here and to Amy for telling the story.

Warm and breezy today! No fog.

Walter Stillman spotted a family of Gray Foxes in the Point Arena area. He photographed three of the cute kits with their mother.

Walt said he also saw the father standing guard at a distance. It looks like two of the little kits are trying to nurse in this photo below.

I wrote a feature for the Press Democrat on gray foxes which appeared June 14. If you'd like to read it - and see Craig Tooley's great fox kit photos - here is the link: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/8427192-181/brace-yourself-for-cuteness-its

Thanks to Walt for allowing me to share his photos with you here.