COYOTE MOUSING MORNING

The other morning, I photographed a coyote hunting for mice in our pasture.

The coyote keenly listens for the voles scurrying through the tall grass. Once he pinpoints the exact location of the sound, he makes a giant leap toward the vole.

Once a vole is caught, the coyote will usually swallow it whole. A coyote can eat 10 to 15 voles in a single day. Coyotes are commonly scavengers and predators of small prey, with their most typical food being small rodents.

Coyotes play a vital role in the ecosystem by keeping the population of rodents in check.

Guemes Island, WA

© Chris LeBoutillier