Winter Nature Study...Coyotes

Coyotes howling here on Drywood Creek is a common occurrence.   We've heard them for years and have seen a few on occasion.  Not so long ago, one crisp January night, Riley and Levi sat wrapped in a blanket on the threshold of the school room door listening through the darkness to what sounded like a coyote just on the other side of the black curtain.  Once daylight hit, we thought we must investigate!

With cloudy skies and sub zero temperatures, we bundled up.  Pulling Levi in the sled, we were off to look for coyote tracks in the snow...

Sure enough, we didn't have to go far to find them.  Approx. 150 yards from the house, we found not only tracks, but evidence of where a coyote bedded down near a row of round bales.  It looked like the coyote sought shelter where the wind had drifted the snow up to the bales.

After a while, Ruben climbed up on the bales and found tracks where the coyote had walked on top of the bales as well.   Once the kids had enough coyote investigation, they played around on the bales until we were froze and had to head back to the house.

Back inside, RileyAnn added an entry to her nature study notebook.  (I believe she meant to date it 1-31-15.)