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<\/p>\nBreakfast has been found but now which way to go with it?<\/p>\n
Back in the day ducks were numerous along the Antelope Island causeway and they were regularly hunted by Prairie Falcons, Peregrine Falcons and even the occasional Bald Eagle. So in the early mornings coyotes often prowled the causeway looking for falcon leftovers, ducks that had died of other causes and voles.<\/p>\n
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1\/1250, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n On the morning of December 19, 2012 this coyote had just picked up what looks to me like a dead male Northern Shoveler “he’ found along the narrow causeway. The duck appeared to be frozen so I suspect it had died or was killed the evening before.<\/p>\n But now he had a decision to make – which way to go with the duck? When vehicles like my pickup come along coyotes feel vulnerable along the very narrow 7 mile long causeway because they’re confined so close to the road. So this guy wanted nothing more than to get off the causeway so he could enjoy his breakfast in peace. He had two choices, heading east to the mainland or west to the island itself.<\/p>\n But he had a heck of a time making up his mind which way to go. First he turned to look west toward the island but perhaps he decided that was too far to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1250, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n So he crossed his left front leg over to head the other way toward the mainland. If I remember correctly he did this several times as he tried to make up his mind, usually with his eye on me to make sure I wasn’t a threat. To be honest I can’t remember which way he eventually went.<\/p>\n These are the only two shots I kept, probably because they’re the only ones that had light in his eye.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These days it’s highly unusual for me to see coyotes along the causeway. The Great Salt Lake is drying up so there’s little water near the causeway, far fewer ducks than there used to be, falcons and other birds of prey don’t leave leftovers so coyotes rarely take the chance to make themselves vulnerable along the narrow causeway because there’s so little food available.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/coyote-8829-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"coyote-8829-ron-dudley\\"")
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