Coyotes at the back gate

We're just over a month away from the shortest day of year here. It gets
dark around 4:50 now and the sun rises at 7:50. The shortest daylight day
is sunset at 4:31 and sunrise at 8:37. So, its dark and cold in the park
and coyotes come right up the gates as early as supper time. Just now, at
6:00 PM, a pack started howling right behind the gate. The cats rushed to
the window, which I opened so that those creepy chilling yips could be even
louder. Chester growled at the window and then they both went and hid. I

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

I don't want to put my cats at risk, but I rather LIKE the
"music" of a chorus of Coyotes! (Wolves, ditto.)

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

Me, too, although I don't think I've ever heard it in person. I've heard
it in films and on TV, though, and think the sound is haunting and
evocative. Of course, if they were almost outside my door and salivating
for my cats, the sound might evoke something other than the romance of
nighttime on the desert.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

True! The only times I've ever really heard them was when I
would visit a friend who lived in Altadena, California.
Often, when I was leaving about 10 P.M., you could hear them
singing in the hills near his property.

hate to hear it.

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

OK, I am puzzled. You hate to hear it, but you opened the window so the
cries could be louder? What am I missing here? :) Seriously, were you
hoping that the coyote cries would make the cats nervous so they wouldn't
want to go outside? (I'm not suggesting that you enjoy tormenting your
cats, but this seems like one of those times when fear is a Good Thing.)

Susan M...

I guess there are a bunch of reasons to open the window:

First, its a popular walking path so the first thought was to make sure that
everyone was ok - lots of people walk small dogs through there or have their
dogs off leash.

It's irrestible when you hear it. Wild animals *right there* and a really
primal sound.

We couldn't actually pinpoint where the noise was coming from
without opening the window too and we really wanted to know where they were.
They *sounded* like they might be in the backyard next door so we needed to
know if there was a fence problem. We could hear them fade away as they ran
off down the path though.

And yes, I like to scare the sh&t out of the cats
with the sounds of coyotes in the park to reinforce the idea of danger with
park wandering. It scares them (they hid in my own house) which is a very
good thing. They just don't go out in the park and that is good.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

sriddles...

Oh, Susan, me too. We found one of "our" owls Tuesday tangled in a
barbed wire fence. We did what we could for it, then took off on a
40-mile drive to the nearest wildlife rehabilitator. It died before we
even got out of the driveway. I got so upset, WAY upset. It was a
magnificent creature, but I'd have gotten equallly upset if it had
been a pigeon. Completley pathetic. About the only living things I can
kill without remorse are fleas and ticks.

Sherry

polonca12000...

Hugs and purrs for Susan and Sherry,
Polonca and Soncek

Sherry

sriddles...

I agree, Susan; it is a creepy and chilling sound. They always sound
like they are right in the yard; then you can hear it fade and you can
tell they are running.
OTOH, it's a "home" sound that I've heard here since childhood. Lying
in bed at night, first I hear the coyotes, and then, the train whistle.
The coyotes I guess can hear the train before I can hear it. Those two
sounds *always* follow each other. Coupled to gether, it's a really
mournful sound. (plus lately the owls hoo-hooing!)
The cats don't run, but they go to the window and get very still and
wide-eyed. They're definitely creeped out too.

Susan M...

I grew up hearing it too and consider it a real sound of childhood. Despite
its creepiness, I feel really connected to nature when I hear it. We
haven't had owls often - but the few times we've had them, I've found it
thrilling to hear them! Do you know what kind of owls they are?

William Hamblen...

We have screech owls around here, suburban Nashville, Tenn. They go
"ee-ee-ee-ee-ee" like a lost soul. Really spooky.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

sriddles...

I don't know, Susan. I should web-search and see if I can figure it out.
They are really big, a lot bigger than I always thought an owl was.

The boys are out all of 5 minutes a day these days, having officially
declared themselves too old to freeze their furry butts off anymore. Which
is ALL GOOD.

Victor Martinez...

YAY!!!!! Let them enjoy a warm winter indoors!

Marina...

I didn't realize you had coyotes so close! Glad to hear the boys have
decided it's nicer inside. I can top you on the darkness - the sun is up
from 8.16. - 3.52 here today. Not that that's anything to brag about. ;o)

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

Yes, but in June you get to say "Nyah nyah nyah" to almost all of us. :)

Marina...

That's true. :o)

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

I'll say!!

Susan M
Otis and Chester