At first glance, I was unsure as to which member of this particular family of coyotes this might have been.
Definitely wasn't one of the newest members - not leggy & lanky enough.
The following photos were taken mid-morning but later in the afternoon, the coyote returned to the same area and fortunately, took up a posture that I recognized. Foxy (named for her striking red colouring), a female coyote born in Spring 2023 has a unique habit of working an area and then sitting several times mid-hunt. Having first seen this, I thought she might have been tired or resting from a long hunt but having watched her on hunts with her other siblings, where she definitely had not trouble keeping up, it dawned on me. Foxy is a thinker. The pauses aren't that long but you can see her surveying the surrounding landscape prior to launching her next strategy.
Her scouting/hunting technique that morning, where she circled the woods several times investigating for potential prey, crossing the creek at the dam (something I've noticed that only Foxy executes) together with an attitude of indifference secured the identification. (For the record, this coyote isn't bold, far from it but while maintaining a safe & respectful distance, she goes on with her search with a certain intenseness.)
(See earlier blog "The Crossing" of March 26, 2024 for photos of Foxy's previous dam crossing.)
More confident & a little heavier, this young coyote has weathered her first year and now appears to be more than able to meet her second Winter head on.
PHOTO #1
PHOTO #2
PHOTO #3
PHOTO #4
PHOTO #5
PHOTO #6
PHOTO #7