Copyright ©2026 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.
Saturday morning after I’d finished Wordle and Strands I shared my results with my sister. We trade results and talk about where we struggled or where we felt it was easy. We talked for a bit and then I got up to make a second cup of tea this was about 7A.M. I just caught out the corner of my eye out back a Coyote streaking by. I moved to the backdoor to see where it was going and here came another one streaking by following the first one! That was neat. I thought they were probably heading back to the den since the sun was up already.
Fast forward 50 minutes and when I looked up from reading there out at the edge of the golf course was a Coyote with its back to me gazing out across the flood plain. Oh! I raced to get my camera that was in my retreat. I wished as I was racing that it would still be there when I got back. It was!
Coyote Gazing across the field.
As I opened the sliding glass door and screen it heard me and turned to see what the noise was. It soon realized I was no threat so turned its gaze back to the field. Above is exactly what I saw that had me run for my camera.
Then I guess it decided there was nothing to worry about or going on so it laid down in the cold grass.
I think my neighbor came out to look and as it seems to be looking that way rather than at me.
After a few minutes something caught its attention out in the field and it got up to look. I looked too. Oh! There out in the field further west was another Coyote! Perhaps these two were the two I had seen running by an hour before?
Here’s Number Two out in the field looking back at Number One. This is cropped in a bit.
Next, Number One started making its way across the golf course closer to me! Curious perhaps or had it heard the birds?
It kept coming closer then below me a Cooper’s Hawk swooped in low over the Sagebrush just behind my fence! The Sparrows and Quail all dove into the Sagebrush and got really quiet. The Hawk landed up on a branch in my neighbor’s tree. The Hawk was watching the approaching Coyote not the birds. I was watching them all.
Cooper’s Hawk
Coyote Number One got to the bottom of the hill below me but, I couldn’t see him anymore. Then he started up the golf cart path headed east and soon was out of sight.
Number Two couldn’t see Number One I think, so came up to the edge of the course. It spotted me. Our eyes met. Then it turned to look east after its buddy, and off it went after it head down on the scent.
I watched it until it was out of sight then looked up and there out in the distance were 3 Hot Air Balloons rising. I hoped they’d float my way, but they never do. Prevailing winds tend to head east. This morning was no different they all floated east behind the mountains out into the great Nevada desert.
I watched until the last balloon slid behind the mountains and out of view. It was my turn to turn away from the view. I went to get my forgotten cup of tea now cold then headed to the kitchen to make a fresh cup. Happy with the way my day started and counting my blessings. I was thinking how wonderful it is to have all this nature and wildlife here and I was very thankful to be home Saturday morning to see it all.
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Awesome capture. I really wish we had a magnificent animal like this in Scotland.
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Wh
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Fantastic shots!
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You are really fortunate to be surrounded by all this natural beauty. Your photos and words illustrate your surroundings so well!
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These are gorgeous images, with a perfect setting to show off the animals. There have been increased sightings here of coyotes that are darker and much larger than these, and the mystery slowly is getting solved. It seems they’re a red wolf/coyote hybrid. I have a friend on the west end of Galveston Island who sees them regularly. I’d love to come across one, but so far I’ve only seen what appear to be ‘regular’ coyotes.
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A Red Wolf Coyote Hybrid! And here we thought the Red Wolf was gone! Well, Don Edwards sings that the Red Wolf is gone from TX in my favorite Coyote song.
I’d like to see one too, but from a distance my camera could handle like the ones I saw Saturday. They could be out more because it’s mating season here. They’re sure singing and howling more in the night.
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I really enjoyed your story, Deborah, because we were there with you. It was suspenseful and enchanting. Of course the great photos held us in the suspense as well. I think the remarkable thing is that the coyotes knew you were there and yet they were comfortable. How truly wonderful.
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Thank you so much, Jet! It was surprising how calm it was and content just to hang out there then come closer to the house. I saw one out on the edge of the course yesterday morning too just gazing over the field, but further east out of my lens focal range. It didn’t stay nearly as long as it had on Saturday.
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You appropriately described the coyotes as streaking, given that they weren’t wearing anything.
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LOL! Well, they wear fur.
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How wonderful Deborah! All of the coyote-shots are marvelous, and the top one I probably like best – a contemplating coyote looking to the future, or perhaps the past. Apart from the content I love the colours in these photographs so soft, almost shy. The balloonshot is great too. That sky!
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Thank you so much, Peter! It was a softly lit morning that day. The way the Coyote was just sitting there gazing over the field struck me too. I couldn’t get to my camera fast enough. 😊
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Very beautiful images of the coyotes. Great captures. (Suzanne)
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Thank you so much, Suzanne!
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