Once in a while a Coyote will wander into the Mendonoma Coast. Patty McBratney saw this Coyote on The Sea Ranch.
Canis latrans is its Latin name, which means barking dog. I wonder what caught this Coyote's eye. Patty was struck by the red highlights of this canine's coat. Coyotes are extremely intelligent and can live in the wild to about ten years.
Thanks to Patty for allowing me to share her photo wit you here.
Yes, we really have had some cold weather recently. George Bush photographed the windshield of the car of his wife, Sandy, early one recent morning. Ice crystals had formed a beautiful pattern.
It's a work of art by Mother Nature!
Thanks to George for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Ken Bailey was on The Sea Ranch when he spotted this young Bobcat. You can clearly see its tufted ears in Ken's photos. Lynx rufus is its Latin name. They can be seen in the daylight hunting rodents in grassy meadows.
I have it on good authority the The Sea Ranch has a plethora of Gophers and other rodents. That is why several healthy Bobcats are thriving there and living lightly on the land.
Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see more of Ken's photography, here's the link to his website: http://www.seadreams.org/ He has taken some fantastic underwater photos and you can see them via this link.
Dave Bess looked out the window of his house and saw this young Bobcat hunting for rodents.
It looks like the Bobcat is close to finding its dinner. They are great gopher hunters and the meadows of The Sea Ranch have plenty of gophers.
Thanks to Dave for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Rozann Grunig and Patty McBratney were out looking for edible mushrooms early this week on The Sea Ranch. They found a few Hedgehogs and Pigs Ears. We haven't had much rain lately. Rozann mentioned to Patty that is probably was a good idea to always have a buddy when in the forest. Just after that comment she saw this print.
Rozann put her mushroom knife, four inches long, in the photo for perspective. Mountain Lion tracts do not have claw marks, as their claws are recessed while walking.
What to do if you see a Mountain Lion? Make yourself as big as possible. I've always thought hiking in the forest with an umbrella, which could double as a walking stick, would be a good idea. On the extremely rare chance that you did come near a Cougar, you could raise the umbrella over you head and pop it open.
Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo with you here.