Last week, DH and I were in the Santa Ana Mountains here in CA, near the Mariposa Preserve, when we spotted this bobcat. It was up about 30 feet high, on a limb of a sycamore tree. It was over 80 degrees that day, and it's been a dry winter. He was panting pretty heavily, and didn't mind us stopping to take photos. Needless to say, when I saw the photos, I had to do a ~happy dance~.
More photos on next post.
Enjoy~
Walk In Beauty~
SingingWolf
It is not at all common to see a living bobcat in the wild these days. I was really thrilled to see this one looking so nice and healthy. The one that was hanging around our farm last year died. It looked old, unkempt and ill.
Usually DH sees the wildlife before I do, so I was happy to have seen him before DH did. : - )
Enjoy~
WIB~
SW
What good fortune!! He is a really handsome guy. May he live long and prosper.
I thought so. ~Happy Dance~
WIB~
SW
So cool! I never see them during the day. They show up every now and then on the game cameras at night though. Guess they are after the rodents looking for corn from the deer feeders.
Love the photos...thanks for sharing!
This message was edited Mar 23, 2013 8:41 PM
Glad you enjoyed seeing the photos. I've seen them at dawn and at dusk, but never before in broad daylight. I think if the tree had leaves on it, I wouldn't have seen it at all.
Dad used to take photos on his camera set up at night. I remember when he got some really good ones of the opposum with her tiny little babies. Does your game camera work like Dad's? (My Dad was Trois.) Or is it triggered by a motion sensor? One of these days, I'll set up a rig like my Dad's. : - )
I'll be back when I have more to share.
WIB~
SW
We have ten set up around the ranch that are triggered by movement...which can be a good thing and a bad thing - because even the trees getting whipped by the wind set them off. Have had butterflies flying by during the day show up as well as moths at night. Infrared works for the night photos - no flash goes off. Even a snake slithering a good 30 feet away! We use them to keep checks on the wildlife...mainly deer. Feral hogs and javelinas, bunnies and birds - and yes, since we live in south Texas illegal aliens show up on them!!!
Amazing, the variety of critters you are catching with your camera set up. I think I'd be kind of scared about them 2 footed predators. Really, even a snake, slithering by 30 feet away? I can see the moths and butterflys, and even the trees in the wind, but a snake? Wow!
We do get trespassers from time to time, and I can't be everywhere on the farm. I've been wanting to put in a camera surveillence system for a long time. If it's not too nosy, how much land do you have? I'm trying to figure out the coverage we'd need for our 48 acres. Sadly, with thefts going up in agricultural areas, we are probably going to have to put cameras around the bee barn. I'd like to put them out by the busy road that bounds one side of our place. That's where most of the trespassers come in at.
For now I have to rely on my hand held camera.
Today I was stalking a woodpecker out in the front yard. In another week I won't be able to get a photo of him at all. The trees are starting to leaf out.
We found a hummers nest out in the gh yesterday, so I'll have a good time taking photos of Mama Hummer and her babies. : - )
WIB~
SW
Yep...the first one is an Indigo Snake. (Shiny line in the empty pond). That same snake shows up every now and then on the pond cam. And it has come out in the day time - it's a pretty good sized one!!! Once it was stretched out across the dirt road leading to the pond...it wouldn't move so I threw a bottle of water at it trying to shoo it of the road. Dang thing reared up and flattened it's neck like a cobra and hissed at me! ...and not a short little hiss but a long drawn out one as it swayed it's head back and forth. Scared the crap out of me!!! It's head was about three feet off the ground and right in front of my golf cart (of which I had long ago removed the windshield!!!) Mario Andretti would have sure been proud at how fast I backed out of there!!! LOL!!!
That is an old photo back when the game cams were 3 mp. We've since upgraded to some that are 8 mp. Much better photos now...just so we can oooh and ahhh over the deer :o)
A couple of other old photos from what you don't want to see showing up on your game cameras!!! The second photo shows 8 bodies...no telling how many were in front or behind when the camera too that photo. The third photo from another game cam...this one is carrying a machete at his waist! EEEK!
A couple of months we got a call from neighboring rancher about busted fences. They came over and picked up the plowed trail. It appears that a smuggler plowed through several ranch fences, ended up losing control and hit a tree. Not a soul in sight...they all booked it and left the wrecked truck. Lots of footprints!!! Sheriff was called the they towed it out.
I putter all around the back fields on my golf cart on weekend looking for butterflies and such to photograph...and armed just to be safe. Haven't seen anyone in the light of day but I sometimes see footprints and of course, see discarded water bottles and food wrappers.
This message was edited Mar 26, 2013 10:00 PM
I am amazed to see that snake. I used to work for State Parks and Rec, down in the desert. Snakes were a common visitor. One of the maintenance guys gave me this tip. Carry a squirt gun with you in case you meet up with a snake. To get them to move away, squirt them. It works, but on your friendly snake you might need a super soaker. : - )
Them 2 legged varmints are scary. Not because of the machete, 'cause most farmers in Mexico carry them, but because of their disregard for others. It's bad enough when they destroy your property, but when they leave their trash too, it becomes a little too much.
I like to go to the wild places to take photos of any wildlife I can find. I didn't get a photo of it today, but I saw a pair of Peregrin Falcons sitting in a tree in my backyard. Too slow in retrieving the camera. Was a beautiful sight though.
I have seen a couple of different kinds of B.flies this year. My first was a huge swallowtail. : - ) I'm raising up some Painted Lady Cats right now, and plan to release them outside. : -)
I found a hummer nest in the gh yesterday. : - D Something to photograph really close!
I really like your wildlife photos, well, at least the first one. The other two are kind of scary. I think I'd go armed too, as it is I'm always accompanied by a couple of dogs. : - )
Got to go for now.
WIB~
SW
I saw this post yesterday and just had to come back and check it out. Beautiful photos Singing Wolf!! I would love to see one in the wild but I would probably be scared too!
Thanks, nanny_56. I probably would have been scared, but I was inside DH's truck over a hundred yards away, and he was way up in that tree at the time. Still and all, it was a wonderful experience. While I have seen bobcats several times over the years, this was the first time I was ever able to get a clear photo.
I'm really glad I had something worth sharing with folks.
WIB~
SW
We thank you for sharing them!!
If I got them, I can't restrain myself from sharing. : - )
WIB~
SW
