Hi everyone.

The Nov. 21 photo “rap” session at Bianco’s was my first as a new LPA member. During that session, I said that I was a volunteer wildlife monitor at Prime Desert Woodland Preserve on the corner of 35th Street West and Ave K-8, in the heart of Lancaster. Here, I thought that I would go into some detail about the PDWP complex, what I do and offer a few suggestions for LPA members who haven’t been there yet.

Four years ago, I bought a Nikon N-75 with the intention of getting into wildlife photography. While taking pictures one day at PDWP, I was asked to become a volunteer should I want to watch over the site’s wildlife. That was quite a leap, but it provided me a rare opportunity to get closer to that wildlife. Going through the process and talking to a few people about my intentions, I got city approval to go off-trail in my wildlife photo quest.

Before getting involved, I bought books, went on the Internet, and spoke with people concerning behavior & biology characteristics of site wildlife. Four years later, I have a pretty good PDWP wildlife background. Some of the locals call me the “animal guy.”

PDWP is a preserve meaning that everything inside its borders is protected. The chief in-field wildlife advocate for PDWP, I remain staunch in my efforts to uphold and defend the site's protected status. Behave or be banned.

A little history –

After a sustained wet winter period, once spring arrived, PDWP became a dense jungle of desert vegetation. Site wildlife populations exploded. California Ground Squirrels (spermophilus beecheyi) breed based on the availability of food. With plentiful food, ground squirrels will have a second breeding within a single season. They did in a big way. Desert Cottontails (sylvilagus auduboni) breed, well, like rabbits. To a lesser extent, we saw a slight yearly increase of Black Tailed Jackrabbits (lepus californicus).

Our resident Alpha coyote (canis latrans) pair relocated their temporary den from the north section of the complex to the undeveloped west section where they dug their more permanent birthing den.

Canis latrans are the most dominant species of coyote. Reaching across the entire US, there are other sub-species that are more pocketed and localized as they interbreed with wolves and wild or domestic dogs. Canis latrans is a distant cousin of the gray wolf.

Mexican coyotes can reach 75 pounds. US latrans, however, fall within the 20-40 pound range, but can reach up to 55 pounds. Desert latrans are small and lightweight, normally in the 20 or so pound range with lighter colors as so to better adapt to the desert environment and to disapate heat.

Our resident Alpha male was a local brute. His paw size was enormous! Estimated weight was 45-50 pounds. He dominated the complex grounds not letting stray males set up dens, not even his own sons who at the ripe age of six months, left the family while his daughters stayed until paring with a stray male. Whether or not the daughter and new male stay with the Alpha family to become a larger part of the pack depends on a number of factors that I won’t go into now.

Then, we hit an extended dry period. New vegetation didn’t grow to support the over-abundance of small critters who ate themselves into near extinction. Raptors and stray domestic dogs took their toll on the remaining small critter populations. Presently, population levels are at an all time low.

The Alpha male died earlier this year of old age just as the Alpha female gave birth to their third on-site litter. Not having anyone to rely on to hunt for the family while the female tended to the pups, she and her pups died either of starvation or sickness.

The site is divided into four sections:
North section – the parking lot north to the Ave K-6 fence line, bounded by home block walls to the east and the east Nancy Cory school fence line to the west. Our site Info Center and most of the new Joshua tree stands are in this section. When population levels are up, most of the small critters live here with the exception of black tails who prefer the more open areas of the south section since they bed and birth above ground.

South section – the parking lot south to the home walls, bounded by more home block walls to the east and the western edge of the Cottonwood trail.

The “connector” section – an unofficial term, the site trail connecting the North gate to the South gate and the eastern edge of the West section. This is a main thoroughfare for coyotes on early morning & early evening hunts. When population levels are up, ground squirrels are pretty thick in this area, often trying to feed from trash cans. This is what helps bring coyotes to this particular section in the morning and at night.

West section – west of the connector trail on the west end of the parking lot to the 40th Street West fence line. Bounded by a wire fence and Nancy Cory school to the north and home block walls to the south, this is prime coyote den territory.

Through a grant, the west section is being developed as we speak with the installation of an expansive trail system covering the north half of the west section. The southern half is reserved for resident coyote dens and is strictly off limits to all but a few humans. West trails are scheduled for completion in mid to late December of this year.

Returning from a two-month hiatus, I learned that a jogger had taken early morning south section shots of a coyote pair. Studying those pictures and after some extensive tracking, both are young adults still with their pre-molt pup colors. The male is reddish in color. The female is more typical. Both are healthy and well fed. Not yet a year old, both should reach sexual maturity in the next couple months in time for their normal breeding cycle.

Saturday, I followed the West trail to the 40th Street West fence line. Going into the restricted southern half, I followed an old road leading to the new trail bridge near the cottonwood tree located in the south section. Once I got passed this area, the young male let out a number of yips informing his mate that it was safe. Their pre-brith den was close by.

Hunting patterns as they apply to LPA photo ops –

Normal early morning hunting routes cover the south section. Coyotes usually enter the area near the cottonwood tree on the southwestern edge of the Cottonwood Trail loop. You can tripod there with a good chance of getting them on film. Arrive as early as you can. The site opens normally a half hour before sun up. Set your tripod south of the cottonwood tree on the southern-most part of the Cottonwood Trail loop. An alternative is to continue on the Cottonwood loop to where the loop turns north. You’ll get better coverage of the south section interior from here.

If coyotes hit the south section too hard over a few days time, they'll revert to hunting the north section. Normally, the north section is used for early evening and night hunting. The south section is their favorite pre-post dawn hunting area, though. This pattern has not changed since I started here.

You can tripod the connector trail from the parking lot sidewalk to photo op west and north sections, but I prefer to hand hold my D80 that early in the morning. A rule of thumb, when surface temps are low, things happen fast. As they heat up, things slow down. That early in the morning, especially now that winter is setting in, be ready or you will miss your shot. The connector section is a primary route to the north section gate & trail system, and the lower lying ravines that run parallel to and east of the Nancy Cory school fence line. Critters use the ravines as a route to get from their burrows to the more lush feeding areas near the north section long bridge.

The long bridge is a good photo op area. You sit on-high and have a nice over-view of the ravines and school fence line.

On the long bridge, directly behind you is a ridgeline used by adult coyotes to teach their young how to hunt using elevation to their advantage. The adult will walk to one side as the pups walk the rim. This is also the location of the north section’s primary ambush points #1 and #2.

Small critters use the safety of the long bridge when they forage. The underside of the bridge allows them an area where adult coyotes can’t get. Normal coyote hunting patterns will follow critter paths that follow the east and west sides of the long bridge. Our new resident coyotes follow such a pattern which is a very good sign that they will stay resident.

On the western-most part of the north trail system, watch Joshua and juniper stands. Male coyotes love to cool off and rest there, hidden from view. One day, I was following new tracks only to have a young adult male (eldest of the Alpha male?) with beautiful colors, poke his head up and look at me before darting off into the interior. He was a big boy for his pre-molt age. You can’t beat good DNA.

A few tips –

Coyotes don’t have the best eyesight on the block. Instead, they rely on their highly developed ears and nose. As a norm, regardless, I dress to blend in with the foliage – tans, browns, greens and if need be, military camo. Just the same, hide anything that reflects light like pens, etc. Not so great eyesight or not, coyotes alert on reflections in a heartbeat. I never shoot pictures at PWDP without a lens hood for just this reason.

The above is important as coyotes will stay in the open longer if they don't consider you a threat. Stay still as you can. Blend with terrain colors. This is not the time to wear your hot neon pink tutu and glow-in-the-dark Mickey Mouse ears while dancing the Watusi.

Coyotes prefer to hunt trails.

Never chase an animal with your feet. Use your camera lens instead.

Never ever feed PDWP wildlife. That will upset their normal nutritional balance. What they need they already have and if we don’t have it in the PDWP complex, they’ll go somewhere else to have lunch. They don’t need yours.

PDWP is "Raptor City." We have birds out the bazoo at the complex. Hawks, owls, sparrows, ravens, jays, doves, quail, big birds, little birds, birds of all colors, birds that are quiet and those that make more noise than you might think possible. Most show up in the early morning and stay till around 10 AM or so unless they’re resident like the common raven and red tailed hawk. If you're lucky, you can catch ravens and red tails as they chase each other in the skies over the north and south sections. Those events are not so much ariel combat as they are raptor saber rattling. If you have a good zoom or telephoto, bring it. While photogenic most of the time, raptors don't take to humans getting too close.

Be forewarned that with trail construction going on, some wildlife patterns have been disrupted and will stay that way until the trails are complete. A case in point is when construction crews spark up gas generators to run field gear. The combination of sound and ground vibration drive the wildlife wacko and shuts down photo ops.

We are still in dry season after effect at PDWP. We need a sustained wet winter pattern for plant life to full bloom, stimulating prey animal birthing patterns. We are lucky to have a resident, pre-sexual maturity, healthy, coyote pair on-site. The natural balance at PDWP is so very delicate at the moment. Expect "protected status" rules to be strictly enforced.

Trail walking can be an adventure and in the early morning, this is no less true. Be quiet. Have your camera at the ready. Walk about 10-20 yards, stop, and look around. Look behind you as PDWP coyotes are famous for following you or being off to one side of the trail keeping an eye on where you are going.

Should a coyote cross your path on trail, stop and look back at you, then continue only to repeat the stare, you are close to an area the coyote doesn’t want you to be. Use this as a photo op on the exposed coyote, usually a male. He is trying to lead you away from a den or the pups being outside the den or possibly a fresh kill he does not want to share with you. Stay on the trail and follow the coyote as best you can. Don’t worry. Once the coyote feels you are no longer a threat, he’ll disappear into the brush. Poof! He'll be gone in a flash. He wants nothing to do with you. You are bigger then he is and as far as he is concerned, you want to eat him.

What I would like to do once the new trails are in and the construction crews have finally left is to hold an LPA tour of the PDWP complex. Let’s meet early in the morning. Sunrises at the PDWP complex are beautiful as the sunlight shines through Joshua trees and junipers. Foliage change color and come to life. Once the crews leave, I’d want to give the critters at least a week to calm down and get back into their usual patterns of life at PDWP. Then would be a great time for a tour and possible photo op.

Another locale is Ripley Preserve. I spend a lot of time out there as well. Out in the boonies, the local impact is a lot less than at PDWP. No coyotes dens as Ripley is open access and they use Ripley Wooldland Preserve more as a McDonalds than a Motel 6.

Should I be so lucky, maybe I can get one of you to volunteer through the city to be an assistant wildlife monitor. If the weathermen are correct and we do have a wet season, although our rainy season has already officially started, I will need help in keeping an eye on wildlife, where the major dens and burrows are, the health of our coyote family as it begins to grow, and help in running various field studies using open and blind photo set ups. If you want to, be prepared to work in all weather, spend time on your belly with a camera, learn what wildlife we have on-site, their basic behavior and biology, how to track, how to hide, etc.

Sorry this is such a long post. What I do at PDWP is part of what I bring to the LPA table and I love it so. I hope we can get together and have some photog fun someday.

Don, thanks for all that fascinating info! Your'e a great writer, and I could easily picture all that in my mind, and can't wait to go to the Desert Woodland Preserve. I've lived in this valley, a long time, and like to think I've been to most places around, but have NEVER been to the reserve. I want to go!!! What a great opportunity that would be... to have a tour for the LPA. I know there would be a great turnout. I think I'll have to sneak out there before though... cuz it sounds so enticing! I'd like to sneak out with Sue Liberto on Turkey Day, but will be too busy... tending to the Birdie.

BTW... WELCOME to the LPA!!! You'll find many nature lovers in the group too.

Don,
Man, this place sounds fantastic. I too have lived in this valley a LONG time and I've never heard of PDWP before you told us about it. Mid Jan. sounds like an awesome time to go. I really need more time to heal before going out for too long. As it is it's only been a month and a half since my back surgery. Another month and a half 2 months is probably perfect timing for me. Let us know when and I'm sure you'll have quite a turn out from LPA. Most of us are nature photographers at heart. I know that I love to take pictures of wildlife. And also the way you describe this place makes me want to go sooner too.
Thanks for all your info.

Sharna

Update:

Sitting in front of my computer with nothing else to do, I thought I might take up more space by updating those who are interested in PDWP and a potential field trip coming soon.

I give official names to the animals I field study. Such is the case with our resident coyote pair. "Zeus" is the alpha male. His partner is "Cassiopia," or "Cassy" for short. Both are doing well, all considering.

Young adults, both have entered their different phases of sexual maturity as they get ready for their first mating in February. Zeus has been going through the male gonadotropin stimulation phase since late September. By now, his coyote hormones are raging. He won't be fertile though until February when Cassy goes in heat. Until then, Cassy has to put up with a young, over-sexed partner who's shooting blanks.

While Zeus wrestles with his pending full-adult male status, he is also trying his best to show his dominance within the complex by asserting his standing as the alpha male. Within the last week he has managed to run off a male transient coyote and a large domestic dog. Way to go, Zeus!

Cassy is full of life but not as playful as Zeus. Zeus likes to play hide and seek with joggers while Cassy is far more reserved in her interactions with humans. This may be a sign of her recognizing maternal instincts; she wants even less to do with humans than she once did, but that isn't saying much.

There is a very good chance they have relocated their den to a part of the complex entirely closed off by fencing.

Between the west perimeter of Nancy Cory school to the east, a housing complex to the west, Ave. K-6 to the north, and the west section, a large section of city property sits. At one time, it was going to be developed by a housing contractor. That deal apparently fell through and the city took back the property. Whether or not it will become an official part of the PDWP complex remains unknown. I'll have to check with the city.

At any rate, it looks like Zeus and Cassy have moved their den to this protected area. A small part of the fenceline separating that other section of land and the west section of the complex has been torn down. As small critters can get through easy enough, coyotes have to jump over it.

From that section of fenceline to the new west trails, Zeus and Cassy have extablished a pathway to gain access to the west trails which they use to access other hunting areas inside the PDWP complex.

Here is something very telling. While scoping out this area today, I noticed and photo logged the head of a cat. By the way, I won't post that picture here out of respect for others. I figure the head to be post-attack 5-7 days old. I found it on that new pathway. There were no attack and/or take down marks in the sand. What this means is that one of the coyotes, probably Zeus, took the cat from another part of the complex and brought back it where I found it. What he was doing was bringing it back to their den. Perhaps the cat was too heavy for him to hang onto while jumping over the lowered part of the fenceline, so it was eaten on the pathway. This is a good sign that their new den is in that fenced-off area.

I spoke with the construction crew boss today. He gave me a heads up on daily coyote activity as they worked. The boss said that Zeus stares at them now and then. Other times, he and Cassy get 100-200 yards away before they start their hunt in the southern half of the west section. I think he is refering to the actual south section of the complex. Zeus and Cassy are NOT hunting the southern half of the west section at all.

Having to cross into their hunting areas by way of passing the construction area, Zeus is keeping a close eye on the crew. It is here that Zeus is having a conflict. As he tries to assert his alpha male dominance in the complex, the construction crew and their machines are beyond his domination. This has him worked up and more so on the heels of his already flustered gonadotropin stimulation phase mental state. Zeus is so hyper right now it isn't funny. It's because of this that humans MUST avoid direct contact with him.

I found new scat. While some fur was noticed, their diet still consists of 50+% juniper berries, a usual staple when there isn't enough meat to be found.

Something strange happened at the complex.

California Ground Squirrels mate based on the availability of food. Although their food source is scarce right now, they had a late season breeding, the first in the four years I have been there when food is as scarce as it is. I think what happened is that with winter setting in and population levels being very low, they had a late season breeding just to keep burrow families alive into the next generation (season).

Within this last week, scores of new squirrel tracks are everywhere, especially in the north section. A large number of attempts at digging new burrows are also everywhere as well as actual new burrow entries. Since the last rain we had a couple weeks ago, new generation young adult squirrels are out fending for themselves by the droves.

The upside - Zeus and Cassy now have an unnatural population spurt to feed off of. Young adult squirrels will be picked off left and right once the alpha coyotes pick up on what's going on. And, they have as tracks so indicate.

With surface temps going down and prey animals on the rise, Zeus and Cassy should be out more during the day.

To add, over the course of this coming week, we stand a chance of showers/rain that varies between 10-60%. This will help stimulate populations growth even more.

I was advised by the construction crew that they may not be finished until the first week in January. Giving needed time for the wildlife to mellow out, look for the photo op tour in late January. I will put it together, post and lead it.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed the update.

Don

Don,

I would like to join you one morning but I'm limited on days. Julia starts back to school on Monday so if you want to go between now and then I should be able to join you. Weekends are OK too.

Glenn

Don,

I'll try for 6:15 but I won't guarantee that I'll be awake yet.

Any recommendations on a lens for my camera? Should I bring the tripod or will things be moving too fast? Should I bring anything else?

Thanks.

Glenn

I'd like to thank Don for the great experience Saturday morning. I learned about interpreting animal tracks (how old they were, what made them, what they were doing at the time), about the daily life of coyotes, about the Preserve, and more. We didn't see the coyotes but we heard them as they moved around, saw where they had been, and found where they had caught their breakfast that morning. After all that I now have a much better idea of what to look for and where to go when I visit the Preserve by myself.

In addition I got some photos of raven (of course), a mockingbird, hummingbird, quail, a couple of fat squirrels that I'm calling Breakfast and Lunch, and a beautiful backlit group of cholla cacti that I'm calling the Four Amigos. I'll try to get a couple of those posted soon.

Glenn

Glenn:

"Four Amigos" is a silver cholla. That's the only kind we have at the preserve. FYI

DON

California Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi).

Don