Serious birders visiting Tucson know to check out Sweetwater Wetlands, a wastewater project that has recreated a wildlife habitat in the middle of Arizona's second largest city. Waterfowl like herons and ducks are attracted to its ponds while a multitude of songbirds, raptors and owls live off the native flora. Migratory birds are also regularly seen in this desert and urban oasis.
So it was a disappointment when I arrived on a cloudy and blustery late autumn afternoon and only gallinules and wigeons were present on the duckweed-filled ponds. The approaching storm didn't concern me, but apparently birds felt otherwise. Nevertheless it was my lucky day because a feline resident was not intimidated by the chance of rain either. And like me, this bobcat was on the hunt.
Of course his prey was for a meal and not a photographic collection. It seemed to be familiar with the terrain, following the same paths as birders and walkers, leaving its scent on the odd rock or tree stump. And quite unusually, it didn't seem threatened by my presence. In fact I followed it for over five minutes, even passing it to get a few shots head-on.
In my half a dozen encounters with bobcats in the Arizona wild I've never met one that let me get this close. But even with a zoom lens, perseverance and a maybe a little recklessness, I couldn't hazard a guess on my subject's sex. Hopefully this young, bobcat finally gave up on his or her hunt for songbirds at Sweetwater like I did and got a lucky break on a rabbit.
So it was a disappointment when I arrived on a cloudy and blustery late autumn afternoon and only gallinules and wigeons were present on the duckweed-filled ponds. The approaching storm didn't concern me, but apparently birds felt otherwise. Nevertheless it was my lucky day because a feline resident was not intimidated by the chance of rain either. And like me, this bobcat was on the hunt.
Of course his prey was for a meal and not a photographic collection. It seemed to be familiar with the terrain, following the same paths as birders and walkers, leaving its scent on the odd rock or tree stump. And quite unusually, it didn't seem threatened by my presence. In fact I followed it for over five minutes, even passing it to get a few shots head-on.
In my half a dozen encounters with bobcats in the Arizona wild I've never met one that let me get this close. But even with a zoom lens, perseverance and a maybe a little recklessness, I couldn't hazard a guess on my subject's sex. Hopefully this young, bobcat finally gave up on his or her hunt for songbirds at Sweetwater like I did and got a lucky break on a rabbit.
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