Bodega Bay Bobcats

There's a family of bobcats living in our Bodega Bay neighborhood. Over the past couple of months, I've seen at least one a day. Our neighbors saw four a few weeks ago. They're usually walking along in the coastal meadows searching for prey, or crouched down, patiently waiting to nab one of the ubiquitous gophers or moles out here.

There appears to be a mother and three kittens. Although they're nearly grown now, the kittens are still playful. One day I watched as the mom stood in the middle of a road, waiting patiently until her kitten came prancing through the brush and joined her. I then watched her strut regally across the road and through a grassy field while the younger bobcat romped along beside her. The bobcats seem oblivious to the presence of humans. We keep our distance and they simply ignore us.

I read that the female raises her young alone. They're usually born in spring, and that coincides with the time a neighbor reported seeing a mother with tiny little kittens peaking out from under a shrub. Young bobcats start exploring their surroundings at four weeks and are weaned at about two months. Within three to five months they begin to travel with their mother. They start hunting by themselves by fall of their first year and usually disperse shortly thereafter. So sadly that means some of them may move on to new territory soon. I've really come to enjoy my daily bobcat sightings, I hope they don't all leave. Goodness knows there are enough rodents around to keep them well-fed for a long time.

My husband got some good shots recently. Unfortunately, whatever this bobcat was after got away.