True Nature Stories: Coyote in the Park

Coyote, Ears On Alert, Golden Gate Park

Yesterday morning was the coldest day I've experienced so far this summer. It was 56 degrees outside my door, a temperature chilled further by the stiff headwinds I faced all the way to the beach. But at least there was a nice reward when I got there. A large group of brown pelicans was circling above the ocean just offshore and taking turns diving like falling spears in pursuit of fish. I've been waiting all summer to see that.

I've also been waiting a long time to cross paths with a coyote, and I finally got my wish. I was riding down the same bike path where I recently encountered a red-shouldered hawk, just as a coyote wanted to cross the path. I was going too fast to stop right away, and I watched as the coyote crossed the path behind me and continued up a small hill. I turned the bike around and walked it back up the hill, quietly, to see if I could spot him again.

I was pleasantly surprised to see him staked out on the hunt next to the sandy trail. At first he paid me no mind, but when nothing came of the stake-out, he turned back across the trail and ambled into deep cover. I looked for him to no avail, then continued to the beach.

At the beach I had good views of some pigeon guillemots and surf scoters, the usual sea lions and brown pelicans, and had a surprisingly close visit from a black oystercatcher and a few black turnstones.

On the way home, nearly shivering from the cold, I decided to try my luck finding the coyote. Instead of riding up the paved trail, I took the sandy one, pedaling slowly and quietly. I couldn't believe my luck when I did see the coyote again, and I even heard it as well: it seemed to be chewing on a pine cone!

At least, that's what it sounded like....

Coyote-by-the-Trail

I've often seen pigeon guillemots that I believed were nesting in some rocky nooks just below the Cliff House. Sometimes I'd see one or two of them darting out toward Seal Rocks, and other times they'd come darting back like missiles toward the face of the cliff...

...but today I saw several of them and wondered if they were a family group, i.e., fledglings from the Cliff House nest.

Surf Scoters

Sea Lions

Brown Pelicans & Giant Camera

The black oystercatcher was bathing in this tidepool just below the Cliff House. By the time it occurred to me to switch to movie mode, the bird was exiting the pool to dry off its feathers.

Black Oystercatcher Drying Its Feathers

(in slow motion)

After bathing, a bit of preening.

As soon as the oystercatcher was out of the pool, a group of black turnstones showed up to have a little splash.

One of the turnstones was more interested in foraging than bathing.

When I first stopped, and before I could even get my camera out, it looked and sounded like the coyote was eating a pine cone, perhaps as a form of play. So crunchy! But then I realized it wasn't a pine cone making all that noise. It was gopher bones.