"THE COYOTE IN WINTER"

Coyote - 7 Photos

 

I am one of the last people to rush the seasons and I do realize that Winter officially is over a month away.

 

But from appearances, in Calgary, Alberta, the seasons went from Autumn to Winter in less than one week. And with colder temperatures, came snow and an accumulation that covered the grasses & shrubs in a deep cover.

 

But with those huge pads, a thick warm coat & an acute sense of hearing, the coyote is very adept at uncovering food under that snow cover. I envy the coyote's ease of traversing the snowy fields and it's only when it encounters a steeper incline that a leap into the white stuff is necessary.

 

And that sparkle on the snow is courtesy of Nature & her lighting skills.

 

With regard to Photo #6, the coyote after a solid 10 minutes of digging (and persistence), managed to uncover a large vole (I believe it was a vole) and after a couple of near escapes by the vole, the coyote laid down to finish off its meal. But that will be another blog.

 

The coyote is sometimes referred to as the "North American Jackal" because of its colouring & looks (Photo #7) although in its thick wintery coat, the coyote does have a resemblance to its cousin, the wolf. In fact, from its positioning & back-end shape, in this photo it almost looks like another member of the canid family, the African Hyena. 

 

 

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7