Eastern Coyote

This morning I traveled to Hartlen Point in search of Eiders or other Arctic birds which are starting to appear in the area. I was hoping to see some Black Headed Gulls with their bright orange beaks. No luck

As I was about to head out of the area, I thought I noticed a dog in the distance alone on the beach. It had a reddish sheen somewhat like a fox, but it was larger than a fox. I positioned myself and waited for him to get closer for a better shot. It was only when I zoomed in that I noticed it wasn't a dog or a fox ... it was a coyote. I couldn't believe it. Whats a coyote doing in this part of Nova Scotia?

I guess he was distracted by his search and didn't hear me right away because of the surf, but he was getting closer and closer. I was beginning to get concerned when he spotted me and stopped dead in his tracks. He froze for a couple of seconds and I snapped this photo. He then turned in the opposite direction. WOW! What an exciting encounter that was.

He has been injured. Perhaps he's an Alpha and got into a fight with another Coyote. He didn't seem to be handicapped by it though and was busy hunting. Later I read that there are about 8,000 coyotes in Nova Scotia. They arrived here in 1982, and are larger than the Western Coyote weighing up to 50lbs. There is an abundance of food (deer, fox, and other wildlife) for them in the Annapolis Valley, but probably only large shore birds and hares by the ocean.

Harlen Point, Nova Scotia. 23 November 2008.

Eastern Coyote

This morning I traveled to Hartlen Point in search of Eiders or other Arctic birds which are starting to appear in the area. I was hoping to see some Black Headed Gulls with their bright orange beaks. No luck

As I was about to head out of the area, I thought I noticed a dog in the distance alone on the beach. It had a reddish sheen somewhat like a fox, but it was larger than a fox. I positioned myself and waited for him to get closer for a better shot. It was only when I zoomed in that I noticed it wasn't a dog or a fox ... it was a coyote. I couldn't believe it. Whats a coyote doing in this part of Nova Scotia?

I guess he was distracted by his search and didn't hear me right away because of the surf, but he was getting closer and closer. I was beginning to get concerned when he spotted me and stopped dead in his tracks. He froze for a couple of seconds and I snapped this photo. He then turned in the opposite direction. WOW! What an exciting encounter that was.

He has been injured. Perhaps he's an Alpha and got into a fight with another Coyote. He didn't seem to be handicapped by it though and was busy hunting. Later I read that there are about 8,000 coyotes in Nova Scotia. They arrived here in 1982, and are larger than the Western Coyote weighing up to 50lbs. There is an abundance of food (deer, fox, and other wildlife) for them in the Annapolis Valley, but probably only large shore birds and hares by the ocean.

Harlen Point, Nova Scotia. 23 November 2008.