Mountain lion on the prowl

Guess who visited the other evening? The very long tail with a black tip is a major hint.

He sauntered toward a spot where I have captured numerous mountain lion photos over the years. This camera has stayed installed in the same spot for multiple years. Many animals have marked the ground below the big Douglas Fir Tree, and the lion sniffed that area.

He sniffed for a long time, and, in the process, he showed us that he does not have a GPS or radio collar around his neck. That fact made me smile!

Then, he turned to exit the area. He stood with just his back end in the view of the camera for about 10 seconds and then vanished.

It's fair to say that mountain lion photography season has officially begun!

To my surprise, our breeding pair of coyotes showed up just a half hour after the mountain lion. They sniffed the area where the lion had just stood for quite a while. They took turns so only one coyote was in the camera view at a time. Look how much smaller a coyote is than a mountain lion.

I always have a small "freak out" when I see a mountain lion on the viewfinder of my camera. I check out every shadow and shady spot nearby to make sure that the animal isn't watching me. Today, I was grateful to have K covering my back. She literally lies or sits right behind me while I check a trail camera, watching my back.

Thanks, K!