A Wintery Outing, with thoughts about our Coyotes

We woke up to the sound of the wind whipping through the pine forest near our house. High winds are the norm here in the winter. I don't mind them when there's not a lot of fresh snow to be blown horizontally. We headed out before the sun rose, arriving on a plateau just in time to capture the warm hues of the sunrise light.

The position of the sunrise has already shifted noticeably since the solstice. Shyla and I have to search for good rays of sunlight just after sunrise, and the good spots shift by the day. One wonderful spot this morning was in front of a big granite wall.

It felt really cold, with a temperature around 25°F and wind gusts up to some insane level like 60 mph. So, we got moving pretty fast. Shyla wanted to fetch her Wubba.

She was so happy to get moving because her paws were getting cold sitting still.

We played and played in the forest as it gradually become lighter.

At age three, Shyla still has the energy of a puppy. And, it makes me smile!

I used to worry more about starting our fat bike ride before sunrise because we used to have coyotes frequently pass close to our house. Interestingly, since a new house was built that cuts off a formerly heavily used wildlife route, the trail cameras near our house are not getting many coyote photos. In past years, they'd capture at least one coyote photo per night and now it's possibly one per three weeks. It's sad to me - I predicted that the new house would have this effect based on its position smack in the middle of a former wildlife corridor but I hoped that I was wrong.

The upside is that I don't worry as much as we ride out of our clearing, with Shyla in an off-leash heel next to my bike, early in the morning. Of all the animals in our forest, the coyotes worry me the most in terms of their potential to hurt our dogs.

Life is full of trade-offs. But sometimes it feels as if the needs of the wildlife suffer in almost every case. Connectivity between tracts of open land is what is most important but it seems difficult for building planners who live far from a site to know the movement patterns of the local wildlife.

But, from their howling and from a few photos at sites well away from our house, I do know that we still have coyotes in our neck of the woods.

And here's a more recent one. In fact, I suspect this guy was watching Shyla and me as we moved along a trail below where he was sitting.

I'm glad to see the coyotes looking good. I think they are so handsome, particularly in their thick winter coats!

Dogs and wildlife

As many of you know, I love being out at sunrise and sunset. One thing I love about it is the "magic light" for photography. I find the light to be almost mystical, with the spotlights of sun surrounded by the darkness of the forest.

So, Shyla and I do our morning outing around sunrise, and the Duo and I are out around sunset. I'm so happy that R can now walk far enough to join the sunset hikes.

One downside to these times for being outdoors is active wildlife. For us, the most common issue is coyotes. Because there are many coyotes and their habitat overlaps with where humans love to be, they worry me more than mountain lions. As soon as we get close to a meadow, I get both dogs on leash, and I scan it for coyotes.

The other day, like many days recently, I spotted a coyote right away. Do you see him lying in the snow in the photo below?

As Shyla and I hiked that morning, the coyote started trotting in parallel to us. Shyla was on leash but expressed absolutely no interest in charging after the coyote, a fact that made me very happy.

As we hiked, the coyote stopped frequently to check us out - while keeping a pretty constant distance from us.

Finally, he went behind a boulder and started barking. At first, it was much like a dog bark and then it became a yip/howl. We stood a distance away, and I recorded his song. However, I discovered that I moved the camera around so much during the video that you'd get sea-sick watching it so I won't share it here.

After his song, the coyote retraced his steps back toward where he'd started. I'm not sure what the display was all about - except perhaps to tell his pack-mates that we were in the meadow.

Neighbors are saying how much more often they see coyotes in the meadows this year than in the past, and I think that the reason might be that there are two new houses on the edges of meadow. It appears that the coyotes' normal secretive routes through the sparse tree groves and boulder-strewn areas in the meadow have been blocked by the houses and outbuildings. For the foreseeable future, I think my dogs will be staying on leash in the meadows. Perhaps the coyotes will figure out new secretive routes as time goes on.

It's okay with me to leash my dogs in the meadows. I believe in figuring out how we and the wildlife can accommodate each other and share the natural world. I can still enjoy sunrise and sunset without my dogs romping in the meadows. Recently, the sunset light has been glorious, and we've been soaking it up.

To close, I want to thank you all for your supportive comments yesterday. I am still in a migraine-induced haze today, and I've decided to try to limit my computer time and rest more for a little while. I need to break this cycle of migraines, and there's a remote chance that will help. I'm going to try to keep my posts shorter, and I may not visit blogs quite as regularly. I apologize in advance but it should be temporary.

Black and White Sunday: A Chorus of Howls

The coyotes continue to frequent our clearing. Most years, they disappear as soon as the wintery weather dissipates. For the winter, they are here most nights.

I like this photo because it shows that we have a new "Nick Ear" in the neighborhood. A coyote who I called "Nick Ear" used to show up on my trail cameras frequently. Then, a couple of years ago, I noticed blood on his fur in a trail camera photo. A few days later, I found his body. He'd been shot by someone who then let him wander around injured and dying for days. This guy looks healthy and strong.

I suspect that the nicks in his ear are either from fighting with other coyotes or from hunting.

When there is lots of snow, the coyotes also occasionally come around during the day. We pack down trails in the snow that lead to and fro our clearing, and I suspect that the coyotes simply take the paths of least resistance - all of which lead to our house. The coyotes look wary in the daylight.

On a recent evening, Shyla and I headed out for a hike. After I checked that our clearing was free of coyotes, I released Shyla from her lead. Then, I noticed coyote tracks walking carefully in my packed snow bike track. In the photo below, the coyote track is on the right and Shyla's slightly larger track in on the left.

After seeing the tracks, I called Shyla and put her on leash. Soon thereafter, howling erupted from a meadow very close to us. Shyla didn't seem particularly interested (thank goodness - perhaps she won't be a coyote-crazy dog like some of our others). We simply continued our hike and never saw the coyotes. My experience is that they usually want to steer clear of us. The one exception is when they try to lure a dog into their midst. Consequently, as long as the dogs are on leash, we feel safe.

Then, later in the same evening, I was setting up my regular camera on the deck for some star photos when a caucophony of howling erupted extremely close to the house. Several coyotes were howling in the vicinity of my trail cameras, and the howling of the pack was captured by the cameras. Unlike my previous coyote howling video, this one is truly a chorus of many. You can watch the short black and white video here or at Youtube.

My dogs responded to the actual howling by making noise of their own. R loves to howl like a wolf so he joined the chorus with melodic and mournful howls. Shyla barked excitedly. Myself, I love hearing the coyotes howling and yipping in the night. It's a hallmark of the west and the wild world we live in.

A Bond

It takes time to build a bond of love with a dog. It's especially tricky when your last dog was a heart dog.

Over this past week, it's hit me quite suddenly that Shyla has become part of me. When she looks in my eyes, I utter those magic words, "I love you", without even thinking.

Together, we've fought our demons. Shyla's demons are all the peculiar aspects of normal human life that can terrify her. Mine are many - but she's helped me to begin to heal from losing K. Together, we are emerging from the shadows and finding our way.

When I spotted this view today, it reminded me of hope superimposed on cold reality. I love the juxtaposition of the swelling aspen buds and the snowy mountains. It's like the overlapping of my growing love for Shyla and the gradual healing of my heart from losing my K.

I feel lucky.

Ears and eyes

Shyla and I are racing out each morning, trying to catch the magic sunrise light while it's still at an hour that I can handle.

She has a favorite boulder. The odd thing is that it's one of the only boulders that K never stood on. So, this one is "Shyla's Boulder". 

This year, I've learned that the sunrise light hits this boulder around the winter solstice and then again around the spring equinox. It was cold and windy this morning, so we both sought sunny spots.

Shyla woke up in the middle of the night pawing at one ear. She wasn't her usual bundle of energy this morning...

Indeed, a trip to the vet told us that she had an ear infection. She was a superstar - so very courageous - at the vet, giving everyone kisses who came near her!

My vet mentioned again how happy she was that Shyla is spayed now. Apparently, many bitches around here go into heat at about the spring equinox (March 21).

I'm glad that Shyla never went into heat in the midst of the coyotes who live all around us. Here's a goofball youngster playing  for the camera in our clearing.

And, here's an adult who I believe has something wrong with his left eye. Notice the lack of eye shine in it.

Here is the same adult, with his right eye showing. It does have eye shine.

I believe that I've captured photos of this same individual near our house. Look at how little eye shine he has even in a bright white camera flash.

By contrast, here's a youngster with very shiny eyes.

Long time readers might remember that our alpha male coyote had a wound near his left eye last winter. It looked serious and perhaps infected. I wonder if he lost the sight in that eye, and now we are seeing his dull eye in my photos.

I think that he also lost his alpha status in our coyote pack. Last year, he always traveled right next to a female, and I believed that they were the breeding pair in our coyote pack. Only one pair per pack breeds, and the other coyotes help raise the pups. I'm betting that there's a new alpha male, and our coyote with the damaged eye is now a "helper".

As for my health, I found out the hospital's computer system crashed badly last week, and they do not know when it will be fixed (but it won't be soon). I'm quitting worrying about the biopsy (because the pathology report is lost in the computer someplace). There's no point in ruining perfectly good days over something out of my control.

Agility Anyone?

Agility anyone? The coyotes headed toward the agility course outside our bedroom window...

And then left two days later!

Shyla and I ran/rode past the "agility trail camera" on our way to see the sunrise this morning. I can tell that spring is inching toward us because the sunrise sun puddles are moving within the forest. Boulders that were spotlighted by the rising sun just 2 weeks ago are now dark. We search for new spots.

Shyla used to be afraid of my bike, a few months ago. Not any more. Now she knows that it means FUN, and she gets so excited when I roll it out of the basement.

Shyla prefers other games besides agility during the winter, when our agility course is full of snow. Her drive to retrieve is growing exponentially, as long as I don't introduce any "official retrieving dummies" (a.k.a. "bumpers") into the game. My goal is to build her drive to play and to do training so I make it as fun as possible for her.

She launched herself after the rope toy that I'd thrown...

And returned with it, so enthusiastically!

Then, she had a Zen Moment before we headed up to Hug Hill.

I've always done lots of my training with my dogs on top of Hug Hill, perhaps because I love it up there so much. Today, we practiced retrieving, and bringing the toy all the way to my hand.

Of course, I couldn't get photos of the toy being delivered to my hand... but Shyla did pretty well for being outdoors in a distracting setting. Most importantly, she had tons of fun!

Next, she's going to learn to ride a bike.

Which would be more amazing - a dog pedaling a snowbike or a coyote doing agility?

Ready for winter

It's time to explain why there have been no "action" photos of Shyla lately.

About five days ago, we were doing some training on a grassy field in a town park. Shyla was walking on leash and suddenly came up lame on a front limb for no apparent reason. We've been doing R & R ever since, hoping that it would be a puppy muscle "tweak" that would just go away. Indeed, that was our vet's guess when she did an exam earlier this week. The vet said that it felt like a soft tissue injury that she guessed would heal on its own with rest.

Alas, Shyla is still limping, and I'm thinking that it's time to get an appointment with an orthopedist. Usually, they're booked pretty far out so we can make an appointment and continue our program of resting until then, cancelling the appointment if Shyla gets better before it.

I have to admit to being pretty upset about Shyla's limp. After all the veterinary drama in our house in the past year, I desperately want Shyla to be in perfect health for a while! And, I love the girl so I hate seeing her be constrained to short leash walks and no playing.

So, today, we continued with training in the morning instead of a long hike or romp. First, we worked on "leave it", using one of the most tempting "treats" on the trails. Shyla sampled one of these piles the other day and decided that it was a delicacy. It looks as if "leave it" will work very well for keeping her away from the piles of horse nuggets that seem to appear like landmines on the trails every weekend.

Then, we worked on "relax", in a new place. Shyla was lying on a bed of pine needles and looked very relaxed and comfortable.

Indeed, she seemed to doze off for an instant. She's getting the hang of "relaxing"!

When I stood right above Shyla, she rolled onto her back and tried to get me to play with her. What a cutie!

You can also see that Shyla has a "Cycle Dog" collar. It's made from recycled bike tubes and seems comfy and durable. I truly hope that Shyla's leg gets better in time for her to start running with me as I mountain bike on her first birthday! It's less than a month away.

After my "Shyla time" this morning, I checked a remote trail camera that has hosted both a bobcat and a coyote family since I last visited it.

I wonder if the coyotes smelled the bobcat based on their sniffing. It's interesting to see that one of them seemed to be the "lookout" for the group. Their coats are so thick that they look substantially bigger than in mid-summer. They're ready for winter!

Now, it's time for all of us to get as ready as the coyotes for the winter ahead!

Springtime romp and wildlife by our house

Our early spring is continuing, and K's energy for romping hasn't waned.

I noticed in today's photos how much K keeps her eyes on me. I often shoot "bursts" of photos when she's moving, and she frequently glances at me while she goes about her business.

Somehow, over the years, I've forged an incredible bond with K. I'm not sure if I've told you about our first meeting but K didn't like me. When we first met, she tried to hide behind a washing machine and then the dryer. When I took her to my car to head toward home from the breeder's house, she caterwauled like she was being tortured. Based on that first day, I never would have predicted the deep love that grew between us.

On this fine spring morning, K showed off as I tried new things with my camera. As some of you know, I'm relatively new to using anything but a point-and-shoot camera. Today, I wanted to play with using long shutter times and panning with K as she ran.

The outcome looks a little psychedelic, almost like abstract art. But, you can see that K stole a glance at me as she trotted by.

I tried the same thing atop Hug Hill. This time, K was focused on the ground ahead of her, which is rocky and rough on top of the hill.

When K and I are out in the forest, I see very little sign that she's sick. She still seems to have energy-to-spare, and joyfully romps. It's only at home where I am noticing that her fearfulness is growing. She fears certain spots in the house and certain sets of steps. These scary places have bothered her throughout her life, with the fear waxing and waning over time. I hope that her recent bout of fearfulness isn't a sign that her illness is progressing (it's 2 weeks until her next checkup). The good news is that these fears disappear outdoors.

K has also been very interested in the scents being left by wildlife in our house's clearing. Since mid-March, a bobcat has come through every 2-3 days. Here he is outside our bedroom window captured by a trail camera.

I was relieved to see that he continued visiting even after I found a dead bobcat in the forest about 2 weeks ago. It wasn't "our" bobcat who died but it still made me sad.

"Our" bobcat has been marking our clearing as his territory regularly. He's peeing in the photo below (he's on the far left).

A few days later, the local breeding pair of coyotes passed the same trail camera in our clearing. First, the male showed off his rapidly healing wound below his left eye. I'm guessing that he's going to be fine.

After the male trotted through and peed in the same place as the bobcat did a few days earlier, the coyote's mate arrived. Look at her rotund belly! I think that there are pups on the way!

After sniffing the tree, she marked the same place as the bobcat marked. I've been seeing this pattern for years - that coyotes and bobcats respond to each others scent markings. They seem almost competitive about territory even though they're different species. I've read that they fight if they see each other and usually the coyotes win.

As you know, the behavior of the wildlife fascinates me... and the scents they leave fascinate K! In fact, K pees over top of the bobcat and coyote scent markings, adding her 2 cents!

Another gift of a spring day here in Colorado. These are special days, and we know it.