"DEMISE OF A SQUIRREL" - Coyote

March 04, 2024 • Leave a Comment

"DEMISE OF A SQUIRREL"

Coyote - 12 Photos

The photos that follow might be discomforting to some. However, in all things Nature, there exists two camps - prey & predator, bearing in mind that predator can also become prey and prey - predator. For example, muskrats are a favourite food source for herons, bobcats, coyotes, etc. but I have been witness to a muskrat catching a large Prussian Carp fish & devouring it. Here, the prey became a predator.

And one important criteria should be remembered. Wildlife must eat to survive and there are no easy visits to grocery stores or fast food restaurants to replenish calories.

This young coyote has already demonstrated her prowess as a hunter, with small & large quarry. I could be mistaken but she appears to be a thinker, often pausing and even sitting for a very short period before travelling on. At first, I believed that because she is the smallest of three siblings, this was due perhaps to less stamina but then seeing how she keeps up with the other two & can go from stop to full out speed to chase a deer, this is probably not the case. She seems to be figuring out her next move during these intervals.

So case in point, the coyote had disappeared into the woods only to re-appear sometime later to scout the edge of a small creek. She paused (Photo #1), looked left and then walked on going right, paused again and then went down into the grasses that line the bank. And then up she popped with something, that at first I couldn't make out (Photo #2). There was some vigorous shaking from side to side and then I could make out her catch, it appeared to be a black Eastern Gray Squirrel?

Because the bank is lined with shrubs & grasses over a foot high & no clear photos could be taken, I made a slow move around to where I could face the coyote head on but from a safe and higher viewing point. Thankfully, she was so involved with the squirrel, that she took no notice and in fact turned around, facing in my direction.

And that's when the Photo #3 through Photo #10 were taken.

As you will see from the photos, there were periods where she paused and looked right, into the direction of the woods (Photo #3). In fact, at one point she actually sat for a few seconds, Photo #10 (there's that sitting posture again), but with her ears up and listening. I assume she was listening for and possibly hearing her older sibling who was probably close by. These two are never that far apart from each other. I couldn't hear any vocalizations but there are sounds emitted from animals that are well beyond human hearing.

Having finished her meal, she skirted around the wooded area, paused along the bank (Photo #12), turned and headed down the hill. By the time, I had covered the distance, there was no sign of her. Another coyote making one of their amazing disappearing acts.

PHOTO #1