Hoofed Animal Babies - II

I love finding and photographing wild animal families. The first photo was taken near Cameron Pass (10,000+ feet) in Northwestern Colorado. The young Moose was the smallest -- youngest Moose I have ever seen. If the mother and father weren't around, I am not sure I would have even known what it was. The Feral (wild) Burro family was taken at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge on the Arizona side of the Colorado River 50 miles north of Yuma.  The young Burro Colt didn't look real; looked more like a "stuffed animal" from FAO Schwartz. 

Moose Family

Feral Burro Family

Hoofed Animal Babies

Bighorn sheep are most vulnerable when young. Predation primarily occurs with lambs which are hunted by Coyotes, Bobcats, Lynxes, Bears, Wolves, and Mountain Lions. Golden Eagles will also try to cause lambs to fall from great height. Adults are more dangerous and predation is generally restricted to Mountain Lions.

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Lambs

Mountain Goats occur at higher elevations and in colder climates and thus their predators are fewer in number. They will come down from higher elevations in the Spring to look for "salt licks". This is when they are most vulnerable to predation. But, as a general rule they spend most of their time at higher elevations than their predators. Even still, like with the Bighorn Sheep lambs, Golden Eagles will try to cause the lambs to fall to their death.

Mountain Goat with Kid

From Taking Life to Giving Life

Although predators must take life to survive, they also give life. Most predators are very careful about exposing their young.  Bear cubs seem to be the easiest to find. But finding Coyote or Wolf or Mountain Lion cubs you almost need a den in your backyard. But, here are a couple that I like:

Black Bear with her two cubs.

Bobcat with one of her two kittens.

Predators with Their Prey: Raptors

Raptors don't have an easy time of it either. However, they succeed often enough to survive.

Bald Eagle with 30 pound Salmon

The rare Gray Hawk with a bird of some kind

Osprey with 24 inch Rainbow Trout

Sharp Shinned Hawk with Mourning Dove

Yes, and a Turkey Vulture with a Coyote

Predators with Their Prey

Life of the predator is not easy. Often unsuccessful, they keep trying until they capture their food. I have seen Coyotes gang up on a rabbit without success. I have seen Bobcats chase after rabbits without success. But, often enough they succeed. Here are a few photos:

American Marten with Squirrel

Bobcat with Desert Cottontail

Coyote with some Carcass

Gray Wolf with Bison Carcass

Grizzly Bears with Elk

Northern River Otter with Salmon

Agua Caliente

Up at dawn this morning and it occurred to me I didn't have to make breakfast for anyone. So I hopped in the Jeep and headed over to Agua Caliente -- Hot Water. Or, the name of a regional park about four miles from us. There is a pond of, at most, 10 acres but it attracts water  birds. I have seen Great Egrets, Green Herons, Black Crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, an Osprey, Belted Kingfishers, Peregrine Falcons, Great Horned Owls, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp Shinned Hawks, Red Tailed Hawks, and an assortment of small birds like Vermillion Flycatchers, Western Tanagers, Orioles, and Cedar Waxwings among others. But, today one Great Blue Heron and some of the winter ducks:

Great Blue Heron

Mallard Duck

Ring-necked Duck

American Wigeon

Javelina Visit

Often we get a whole herd of Javelinas (collard peccaries), sometimes as many as 20 (once I counted 24). Most of those are females and juveniles. Javelinas are omnivores and will eat small animals, roots, grass, seeds, fruit, and cactus although their most cherished food comes from our garbage cans; oh, and any plant we buy from a nursery. Javelinas have scent glands below each eye and another on their back. The scent glands are used to mark herd territories. They also rub up against each other to mark members of a herd. So, while each Javelina has it's own scent, each herd also has its own scent. The scent is strong enough that humans can easily pick it up -- probably why Javelinas are also referred to as "skunk pigs."

Every once in a while a male struts through by himself. Males weigh as much as 88 pounds. What is interesting is that when nervous, their hairs stand up and shiver.  Yesterday afternoon, while sitting at my desk a male came through. I grabbed my camera and got a couple of photos before he "got away," although I never really got close enough for a good photo. You'll notice the hairs standing up on his neck:

Javelina