Coyotes

I expect most people know that wolves and coyotes have bushy tails that hang straight down, whereas by the time dogs were domesticated, they had acquired a gene that made their tales curve up at the end. Every few days from one to three coyotes (often, what looks like a pair with a younger one) come trotting up from the wash at the bottom of our land, crossing through the back yard at a wide front so only one would be visible at a time. A rabbit, seeing it, might be tricked into fleeing to the side and running straight into the others.  Invariably they come just as we are not expecting them, traveling so fast they are gone before I can find my camera, so I have never managed to record them but get only a quick sense of surprise at how large they look ("Like wolves!" I can't help shouting to Cheryl), and a sense of admiration for the wild look of their plump hanging tails. They have wonderful coats at this time of year.

Well, the other day I got my chance. It was that day late in February when the round-tailed ground-squirrels came up from their burrows for their first day out of hibernation, and while they were still possibly confused by the sudden sun-brightness a family of coyotes was frantically trying to dig them out. While they were occupied with that I was close-up beside them with my camera clicking away trying to make their tails the center of my pictures.