Category: Badger

Badger, Bobcat, Coyote, Other Bird

A Day at Point Reyes National Seashore

I was out at Point Reyes two days ago.  It was a very good day.  I saw and photographed multiple bobcats and coyotes.

Photo of a bobcat stalking its prey.
Bobcat Stalking Prey

This bobcat was hunting gophers.  Bobcats use their paws to catch gophers in their burrows.  Their mouths are not designed to fit into the narrow space of a gopher burrow.  Their paws are also fairly large in relation to the size of a gopher burrow.  Based on my observations, I would say their batting average is fairly low.

Photo of a coyote at Point Reyes.
Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

Coyotes use their mouths to catch rodents in their burrows.  They don’t have sharp, retractable claws and don’t seem disadvantaged in that regard.  That long slender snout seems built for the task.  Based on my observations, they have a much higher batting average than bobcats in catching rodents in the top of their burrows. This coyote was with its mate and another individual.

While I’m always happy to get the opportunity to photograph bobcats and coyotes, what made the day really special was seeing and photographing a peregrine falcon and a badger.  I don’t get many opportunities to photograph either of them.

Photo of a peregrine falcon on a post.
Scanning the Area

I don’t know if this is a female or an immature or both.  Its markings were not as nice as the peregrine I posted here.   However, I’m always happy to photograph a peregrine.

Photo of a badger at Point Reyes.
Badger Wakes Up from Siesta

Badgers are very nocturnal so it’s always a treat to spot one.  The recent rains have created damp, dark soil which stands out when a badger digs up areas where there are good populations of gophers.  I also love the rich greens of the grasses at this time of year.  Everything has been brown this winter until we got some decent rains in the past few weeks.  For those that don’t know, California is suffering from the worst drought in history.

Badger

American Badger, Yellowstone National Park

A mother badger at her den.
Badger Mom

This is a mother badger tending to her den entrance.  She had one baby which was underground at this time.  It was about half her size.  Interestingly, the young one was much a much lighter color than her.  It reminded me of the blonde colored badger at the Yellowstone Picnic Area that killed and ate the red fox kits.  I wrote about that here.  This den wasn’t far from the picnic area.  I’m guessing that guy fathered her little one.

Badger, Red Fox

The Last Week in May of 2013, Yellowstone National Park

Photo of red fox kits playing at den site.
Red Fox Kits at Play

I arrived in Yellowstone on Sunday afternoon, May 26.  The red fox den near the Yellowstone Picnic Area was the talk of the park.  Hundreds of people came to see the foxes.  The den was only 60 yards from the nearest picnic table.  The Park Service put up signs and cones to keep people 50 yards from the den.  Seeing the parents all day long was great, but the best times were when they let the kits out to play.

I had gotten some good fox kit photos last year so I wasn’t as inclined as some to watch and photograph the foxes all day long as many people were.  I would stop by once or twice a day to see what was happening.  As it turned out, I learned that on  Thursday that just before I arrived a badger and the vixen started fighting some distance up the road and the fight continued to the den.  Many people photographed the fight at the den entrance.  At this time the kits were in the den.  I learned that when the badger got in the hole one kit ran out of the den entrance and the other got out an escape hole.  The foxes had another den about 50 yards away and the the parents rounded up the kits and put them there.  The badger never came out that day.  It is likely that the vixen had stored food in the den and the badger presumably ate it.  One of the parents was usually at the den entrance waiting for the badger to come out.

Photo of a badger moving from the main den to the second den where the fox kits are hidden.
Badger moves from the main den to the other new den.

Everyone came back at the crack of dawn Friday morning.  On Friday afternoon at about 5:00 p.m. the badger emerged from the den.  Neither fox was around, which was very unusual.  The badger went immediately to the other den and entered.  I don’t know if it had been to the other den before or it followed a scent trail.  When the mother returned she went to the new den site.  The badger had back-filled it and the vixen dug and dug, but the badger was able to fill it much faster than the vixen could dig.  The vixen bided her time outside the new den site.  I learned that the badger came out for a short time Saturday and there was another fight, but it was much shorter than the first fight and the badger went back into the new den.

There doesn’t seem to be any doubt but that the badger killed and ate the kits.

Another photographer told me that he talked to the NPS Ranger that had been there the day before and the Ranger told him that this pair of foxes has yet to successfully raise its kits.  I do remember hearing reports of foxes on the other side of  the picnic area last year, but I never saw them.  I think the photographer said that he was told the badger got the kits last year as well.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t there for the first fight.  (I missed the later one as well.)  Some people were there for the first fight though and they got good photos of it.  To see one person’s photos click here.

Another sad note is that the vixen that I photographed with her kits last May just outside the northeast entrance was hit by a car and killed.  Click here for my blog about her last year.  She left four kits.  One of them died, but someone is feeding the other kits.  But they have no one to teach them the secrets to living a long life as a fox.  Hopefully, it’s mostly in the genes.

Badger, Bobcat, Coyote, Hawk, Other Mammal, Owl, Tule Elk

Best Photos of 2011

I learned about Jim Goldstein’s blog project some time in 2011.  To learn more about it click here.  Basically, you do a blog about your best 10 or so photos of the year and Jim will link your blog to his list of blogs that participate.  I recently looked at some of the 2010 participants’ “Best 10” blogs.  It’s a great way to find good nature photographers you weren’t aware of.

I photographed a lot at Point Reyes National Seashore in 2011 so I decided to use Point Reyes wildlife photos that were in my blog in 2011.  I want to say at the outset that I never really photographed much at Point Reyes before 2011 and I was very surprised at how good wildlife photo opportunities are there.  I’m a big fan of Yellowstone, but Point Reyes is almost the equal of it and in some ways it’s better.  For example, I’ve never seen a single bobcat in Yellowstone and hardly ever fail to see one at Point Reyes.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Point Reyes wildlife photos that were in my blog in 2011.

Photo of long-tailed weasel peering out of a burrow.
Long-tailed Weasel, Point Reyes National Seashore

Long-tailed weasels are one of my favorite animal subjects at Point Reyes.  Unfortunately, they are hard to find.  I saw four last year in Point Reyes, but this guy is the only one I was fortunate enough to get close photos of.

Photo of a bobcat daydreaming.
A Bobcat Daydreams, Point Reyes National Seashore

Bobcats are a lot easier to find, especially in the winter. This male lived on one of the ranches along Pierce Point Road.  I saw him a lot last winter, but he disappeared in the early spring.  I’m not sure what happened to him, but I think a pack of coyotes got him.  I saw them pass through the open area he used to hang out on.  I think he could have held his own with one coyote, but I doubt he could do so with two or more.  There were no trees or other means of escape anywhere near where I used to see him.   I photographed him a lot and miss him.

Photo of a coyote looking back at sunset.
Coyote at Sunset

Point Reyes has a healthy population of coyotes.  Like the bobcats, they are easiest to find in the winter when they spend more time out during daylight.

Photo of a badger after it awakens from a sunbath.
American Badger, Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes has a good population of badgers, but they are somewhat hard to find because they are such nocturnal critters.  In 2011 I photographed two single adults plus two females in the spring with two cubs each.  This is one of the single adults.  I found this individual a couple of weeks ago.

Photo of a 7-point bull bugling during the rut.
Tule Elk Bugles During Rut; Point Reyes National Seashore

Of all the wildlife Point Reyes has I think the species people think of first is the tule elk.  They are fairly easy to find and photograph at Point Reyes.  Needless to say, this photo was taken during the rut.  With his angry-looking eyes and wide-open mouth he looks pretty fierce.  Every time I see how big his mouth is I picture four canine teeth in there and wonder what life would be like if elk had canines.

Photo of peregrine falcon eating its prey.
Peregrine Falcon Holding Its Prey

Point Reyes has some resident peregrine falcons.  They are often seen from Chimney Rock to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.   This one decided to dine in ranch country.

Photo of a male california quail.
Overseeing His Covey

California quail are quite common in the Seashore.  When things are slow they can save the day.  I think the peregrine above was feeding on a quail.

Photo of an osprey perched on a dock.
Osprey; Tomales Bay, California

There are several ospreys that live and nest in and around the Seashore.  This one decided to perch on a dock in Inverness which is just over the ridge from the Seashore.

 

Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a red-tailed hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Red-tailed hawks are common at Point Reyes, especially in the winter.  They are probably the raptor seen most often in the Seashore.

Photo of a great horned owl sitting in a barn window.
Great Horned Owl in Barn Window

Great horned owls are also common, although you don’t see them as often as their numbers would suggest because of their nocturnal ways.  Find any good sized clump of trees, though, and odds are good that you will find one or more great horned owls in there.  Pound for pound they are about the most deadly bird in North America.  While they normally prey on mammals and birds smaller than them, they have been know to prey on such things as house cats, canada geese and even bald eagles.  Field Guide to Owls of California and the West, Hans Peeters, at 191.

There are a lot of other wildlife species at Point Reyes , many of which I blogged about, but it’s time to stop.  If you’d like to see some more images from Point Reyes or elsewhere you can continue viewing my blog or you can visit my website, www.jimcoda.com.

Happy New Year to All, and thank you Jim Goldstein.

Badger

Badger, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a badger after it awakens from a sunbath.
A badger wakes up from its sunbath.

After lunch today I decided to go out to Point Reyes.  I’m anxious for the coyotes and bobcats to return to their winter ways of spending more time out during daylight hours and I hoped I’d see some today.    I had barely gotten inside the Seashore when I  saw a lot of badger diggings on a hillside.  They looked fresh, although it had rained last night and I wondered if the wetness of the dirt made them look fresher than they were.   I scanned all the diggings and the one that was highest up the hill had a brownish lump on the side of the digging.  It was partly obstructed by vegetation.  I grabbed my 7X binoculars and took a look.  They weren’t powerful enough to be certain, but it looked like brown fur and it wasn’t moving.  I assumed it was a badger and that it was asleep.  I grabbed my lens and tripod and  decided to move slowly up the hill to try to get close enough for a good photo.  I used a telephone pole between us as cover.

I got to about 40 to 50 yards from what I knew by then was a badger and was about to shoot a few frames when out of the corner of my eye I caught a flash of movement.  It was a a coyote and it was running straight up the hill on my left.  I have no idea why or how the coyote did that.  I think it may have been sleeping somewhere to the left of the badger and me and I startled it.  I started shooting the coyote as it ran, but it topped the hill quickly.  I re-focused on the badger and, no surprise, it was no longer asleep.  It was staring straight at me.  I’m sure the coyote caught its attention first and the noise from my shutter got its attention next.  I fired off several shots and the badger went down the burrow it had dug.  It quickly popped back up to take a longer look at me.  After a few seconds it had seen enough.

Photo of a badger peeking from its burrow.
A badger takes a peek.

After a bit, I circled around the burrow hoping he’d come up again and, not seeing me where he expected me to be, he’d come out.  It was not to be and after about 30 minutes I gave up.  It was a good start though.

It turned out that that was the high point of the afternoon.  I did see another coyote later.  I also had one bobcat cross the road in front of me.  I also saw another critter for a second or two before it disappeared into a swale.  I think it was either a bobcat or coyote.  Things were pretty slow elk-wise on the Tomales Peninsula.

I then headed over to Drake’s Beach hoping to see some elk on the way or maybe something at Drake’s Beach itself.  On the way I saw a burrowing owl that my friend Jeff told me about just before the turnoff for Drake’s Beach.  There was also a big 7-point bull elk on the east side of the road to Drake’s Beach.  Drake’s Beach itself was dead.  I then headed back to Pierce Point.  It’s often pretty good for elk late in the day.  Not today.

Things seem to be getting better at Point Reyes in terms of seeing bobcats and coyotes.

Badger

Badger Cubs at Play

Photo of two badger cubs.
Three Badger Cubs at Play, Yellowstone National Park

I checked this badger den for the better part of two weeks in May of 2009.  For a couple of days one of the cubs was often seen with this bit of fur or skin in its mouth.  I don’t think I ever saw them more than about 10 feet from the mouth of the den.  Yet, a coyote managed to capture and kill one of the cubs.  I don’t think they had learned to fear anything up to that point.  Some of life’s lessons come at a steep price.

Badger

Mother Badger with Ground Squirrel

Photo of a mother badger returning to her den with a ground squirrel in her mouth.
American Badger, Yellowstone National Park

Several photographers, including myself, waited for an hour or more for this mother badger to return to her den.  It was close to sundown when she returned with this live ground squirrel.  She was moving through the sagebrush at a fast pace.  The conversation going on got me distracted from what I was doing.  I hadn’t increased the ISO as it got darker.  The result was that I shot this at 1/320th of a second.  The badger is just bordering on being blurred.