A brief review: I decided I needed a new wildlife project, some sort of challenge, so decided the coyotes at my local park fit the bill perfectly. Turns out, they fit the bill a little too perfectly. They turned out to be quite the challenge – they’re smart, sneaky, well-camouflaged, and extremely camera shy. I haven’t noticed any Acme crates, but so far they haven’t needed any assistance.
I had an extremely close encounter that I mentioned in a journal entry, and a couple of other sightings recently since my last photo update. My last time out before this I was almost skunked (and I NEVER get skunked); the only time I saw a coyote was on my way out, after packing up my kit.
Today was pure serendipity – I wasn’t even planning to look for the coyotes, but on a whim I decided I’d just do a quick to the park to see what turned up. The light was gorgeous, and not a cloud in the sky. I saw the coyote out on the ice in the pond as soon as I arrived. That seems to be her strategy, at least when dealing with me. She waits on the ice where she has a 360 degree view of her area, watches where I go, and just takes off in the opposite direction. It’s hard to hide from her when she follows that tactic.
I waited until she was in the brush, and quickly set up in an established blind at the other end of the marsh, facing away from the marsh. Wildlife photography is a waiting game most of the time, and it took a little patience before I spotted her again. She was trotting along the edge of the trail, and for once, was in almost the perfect location, at a wonderful distance away. She even came a little too close before she spotted me – some of the pics have the bottoms of her feet cut off. I was afraid to move too much, so I didn’t even try to swing the camera into a portrait orientation.
overall, I’m pleased with these shots. The directional light was a little tough, there are some blown-out highlights, but overall, they turned out fairly well. i still think I can do better, so I’ll be out again tomorrow morning.
Coyote (Canis latrans)
Crown Hill Park
Lakewood, CO
Sony Alpha700
Sigma 300/2.8
Giottos tripod, Acratech ballhead, Wimberley Sidekick
ISO400, f/5, 1/1250sec
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