Coyote Morning

Just after I turned onto the path into Innovation Place I saw something across the field. It could have been a dog, but I couldn't see any people. I thought it might be a coyote since it was about the right size and color, and I have seen them around here before.

spot the coyote

So I pulled out my camera and headed across the muddy field (to the detriment of my dress shoes). I only had the little RX100 and it doesn't have much of a telephoto, but I started taking photos anyway since I figured the chances were good that it would take off when it saw me. If nothing else I might be able to enlarge the photos enough to confirm what it was.



I got close enough to tell it was indeed a coyote. It noticed me, but it didn't seem concerned. I thought it would head for the cover of the river bank, but instead it wandered up the dirt road and onto a landfill/snow dump site. I followed over onto the landfill (more mud!) but lost sight of it. Again, I thought it would head into the bush of the ravine where the old ski jump used to be, but it didn't and I spotted it emerging onto the grass on the far side of the landfill. It paused in the grass and pounced on something - a mouse perhaps? But it was unsuccessful.



I was fairly close by this point and it looked at me again. It still didn't seem too concerned but headed back across the landfill and trotted down the road, finally heading for the river and concealment. It passed quite close to several people on the Meewasin trail but they didn't notice.

I wonder what it's doing in this area first thing in the morning. Hopefully not returning from a night of scavenging food waste from the university. Although it's probably safer in the city than outside since in our wonderful wild west culture the government still pays you for killing coyotes.