Wildlife encounters

Tail or no tail.....that is the sign.

 

When you see a mountain lion up close, the tail is unforgettable. It looks like something you could use to tie a ship to the dock. I'd say the tail in that picture is too short for a lion.

Bobcats have stubby tails, which kinda matches the picture...

 

@buggravy, it's a bobcat, 100%

 

Hey, Bobby!
Bob's your uncle.

 

Not my encounter, but might be someone's. Seems that traveling mountain lion that was captured in Irvine, released in the Santa Ana's, spotted a couple of times in Mission Viejo has now pinged his collar in Aliso Woods.
Keep your eyes out, poor guy is probably just looking for a home.
(Now, can Fish and Wildlife quit saying no lions west of the 5/405?)

https://share.newsbreak.com/y5rdr4cc

 

This little guy was out and about 6 months ahead of time.
He wanted to help load my bike in the car for todays ride, but I told him to go back to sleep.

 

I've seen hoards of them in the Spring time roaming the desert.

 

Looking for love in all the wrong places...

 

I recall getting off Highway 40 (between Barstow and Needles) back in the '90s to check out the spectacular landscape. There was a one mile section of desolate road where we saw dozens if not hundreds of them crossing, all of them moving across the road at the same angle as though they were on auto-pilot. I think the month was March.

 

We found this little guy on the trail tonight.
Very calm. Didn’t even try to bite at all.

 

@SnakeCharmer
My cat caught this one in my garage,
Did she do good or bad ?

 

She did what her instincts told her to do. It's a Pacific Gopher Snake. Good pest control.

 

If I would have seen it sooner I have the perfect relocation place for it.
My neigherbor got taged by a rattler 2 weeks ago and spent 4 days in the hospital.

 

Not my pic, but a buddy took it here in South OC. Kinda unusual behavior no, @SnakeCharmer?

 

That's a Southwestern Speckled rattler. Just taking a dip and getting a drink.

 

I used to hike upper Sespe. No trail, just scrambling. You would see rattlers swimming. Sometimes underwater. You think twice when fording the creek as you are up to your shoulders everytime. Snakes hunt fish, I have seen them with big fish in their little mouths. But what is cool is those big fat Chuckwallas sunning themselves

 

Not really wildlife, but Rip, the neighbors "cat" said "snort snort" greeting me at my driveway.

 

are you ache-in for some bacon?

 

So I could not get a pic happened too fast.

I have seen many Road Runners... one of my favorites to spot.

I have seen them hunting, running, even flushed them into the air ... but today I saw one do the Road Runner "Hop" before he took off..

He as kinda trotting away from me when he jumped into the air with both feet together and waggled his feet / toes ... like right out of the cartoon! I have never seen that before makes me wonder if Chuck Jones actually saw that at one point!

See pic below

 

Good one! I've never seen it like that but will look next time just in case. I always like seeing Road Runners, fun birds.

Some years ago I'd ride O'Neil very often as it was right outside my door. On one short downhill a road runners would jump out and race me down. This happened at least a dozen times, and I always looked forward to "the race".

 

From my trip to Yosemite. Near Half Dome.

 

1st coyote of the season walking up the hill on the neighbors dirt road. . . . . . Got to carry my 22 now while I do my yard work

 

seen them may times. my favourite dropping fast I get behind one and I am snaking the beast. eventually the trail turned, it went straight. Wille Coyote lives at the bottom of Space Mtn. I am normally the last one down the mtn. A CHP siren will set them off all around you. There is an awful lot of them. Then when you pass some of them come out and look at you with the bent shoulders, looking at you with those steelie eyes. They still don't bother you, but they do make you think.

 

a neighbor kid and I were sitting on the lawn, petting my doggie when a coyote ran by in the middle of the street like it did not have a care in the world.. it stopped for a second an eyed the little doggie then the kid started yelling coyote coyote!!
it took off.. loped up the hill and disappeared. probably less than 30 feet from us..

 

oh yeah.. my last dog was taken about 30 feet from the same spot, in our front yard...

 

It didn't have a care in the world, because it's in its element.

I see them now and then since we're not far from a drainage channel. And they're all over the FLoop.

 

two years ago, about 4:00 pm I hear my neighbor scream. A coyote took her little 20 lb dog off of her leash in the front yard. Two days later I found white fur along the trail in the sage scrub. I did not have the heart to tell her I found her dog

 

dang.. on the leash? I really need to be more careful. my dog just went out for a pee. in our front yard. I was only 30 feet from her... If I lose our current dog to another coyote I will never be allowed to ever have another dog again..
I really better be paying attention 24/7 when outside...

 

Current dog. She loves the jumps in the floop

 

Just about every single day here in the wilds of LA County... Usually in a pack of 6.

Growing up the .22 was for the wild dogs... When I sprayed fields, they were pretty common, especially near the reservations.