Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : coyote

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Coyotes and Valentines, Romance is in the Air

Canis latrans singing the desert's music

With February being the month for Valentines I thought how appropriate to blog about one of the wild critters who also feels romance in the air this time of year. The month of February is most often when the coyote's attention turns from stalking a favorite snack to wooing a mate. Coyotes are known for being good parents as both mother and father feed their pups by regurgitating food they have found while hunting.

Following a gestation period of only sixty days, the mother may have a litter of up to nineteen pups. The pups mature quickly, are ready for weaning in about one month and reach their full size in a year. Keeping a close family unit, the males most often leave the pack while the female pups remain in the unit.

Coyotes prefer to hunt at night in pairs, but on several hikes I have been fortunate to spot a single coyote hunting during the morning. I have never been allowed to get too close and that is where my telephoto lens comes in. I've been asked numerous times if I wasn't afraid of being attacked and the answer is No. Maybe if I cornered one in a barn, but that isn't likely to ever happen.

A family of coyotes lived across the pasture at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park and on summer weekends I would go out to the park for exhibits and events. One day on my drive out, I saw a duck get hit by a car. I stopped to retrieve the dead, warm duck in a plastic bag. I wanted to see if one of the coyotes would come and take the duck back to the den. Sure enough, I hardly had time to focus my camera when one of the coyotes grabbed the duck and ran back out of sight.

Every time I hear Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Music of the Night", I think of the coyotes singing at night. There is something about their howls on a warm desert night that just seems right. I will never forget during our Wildflower Photography Workshop at Death Valley hearing the coyotes break the silence in the early morning hours before dawn.

In my opinion, Coyotes are given a very bad rap and it breaks my heart to know that they are being hunted and killed just for sport. Coyotes do their part to keep nature in balance by eating rodents, rabbits and squirrels. Their diet may also consist of birds, lizards, snakes, plants and fruits. Yes, they will kill and eat cats and small dogs, which is why I keep my cats inside at night. The main predators other than humans to coyotes are bears, wolves and mountain lions. It makes me wonder when we continue to target all the natural predators what will keep nature in check.

So as long as there are the Canis latrans, the "barking dog", I will enjoy the desert night where the greatest sound is silence and I anticipate like with a blank sheet of music for nature to supply the notes

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

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Monday, May 23, 2011

Adventures in Wildlife Photography

Knowing When to Exit Before It's Too Late

I began my photographic ventures shooting landscapes and because they always took me off the beaten path, I came across many different types of wildlife. Around this same time, I was doing volunteer work in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area and at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park with my photography. I made friends with some of the park rangers who taught me how to approach wildlife and enter their habitat without causing any problems.

One of the first things I learned in photographing wildlife was that I would need a faster telephoto lens. So when I could afford it, I added the Nikon 500mm 4.0 to my collection of lenses and it soon became my favorite, even though it was cumbersome and required a tripod. The 500mm lens allowed me to reach areas where the wildlife hung out and most times go unnoticed. However, on several occasions after walking quietly and blending in, I was the one who was in for a surprise and not too sure about my next move.

A female coyote stops on her way back to the den to check out what is hiding in the mesquite trees. I've been fortunate to come across these creatures many times in the early mornings or evenings when I wander through the desert. They are very shy and most of the time will scurry off. I love to hear their music on a calm summer night.

Now mind you, I haven't had the thrill of encountering a cougar in the wild yet, although I have seen their tracks in the moist sand near First Creek. This cougar photo was during the open house at the Animal Ark in Reno, Nevada.

Speaking of First Creek, which is in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area and runs along the trail as its name implies, is a great place to see a lot of wildlife. One spring day when I was hiking down the densely covered path I heard heavy breathing coming from just around the bend. My curiosity got the best of me and I continued on to find a group of wild burros foraging on a nearby hill. When I came into view, all heads looked up with ears forward. Wild burros can be mean spirited and will defend their territory; however this group posed for the camera as I quietly walked on down the trail.

There is something very peaceful about deer as they quietly graze on foliage, however this buck did not want me coming any closer and I have heard stories about hunters being attacked by them. With a quick clique of the shutter, I backed up and made a fast departure.

When I lived in Las Vegas, I often made trips out to Wilson Canyon where I could always find a large group of wild horses gathered around the natural springs. Early one summer morning, I was hiding in a grove of creosote bushes focusing on several horses that were drinking nearby. I heard some noise, turned and was completely surrounded by a bunch of wild horses that had snuck up while I was in deep concentration! When the horses realized that I was there, they stopped and allowed me to take a whole group of great photos.

Elk are like deer and just want to graze and be left alone. However when I was walking down a narrow back road near Cedar Breaks, Utah and came upon this group of Elk, I wasn't too sure how they felt about me entering their territory. Since my truck was a distance away, I snapped a few quick photos and did an about face!

In the areas that I frequent looking for wildlife, I've never seen a wolf out in the wild and this beauty is from the Animal Ark in Reno.

On one occasion, I did look up to see these big eyes watching me from the overhead tree! And no, I am not afraid of owls; to me they are beautiful birds that keep nature in balance.

What I am afraid of and always cautious about are the rattlesnakes that live around the rocks in the desert. During the warm season, you have to be very careful about where you step and place your hands! Getting bit by one of these creatures when you are out on a hiking trail could mean the kiss of death and ruin your day!

I love being out in nature, exploring and finding photos. When I am in nature, I try to be a good neighbor and to go unnoticed without intruding or disrupting any habitats. As the saying goes, take only photographs and in the desert we don't believe in leaving footprints, only memories.