Holiday shopping, helping

They usually keep a distance from humans, but caution is crucial around wild animals

Coyote seen in Lafayette; should residents be worried?

DEAR JOAN >> I just spotted a large doglike animal walking slowly across our yard behind our home in Lafayette at 3:30 this afternoon. He was only about 20 feet from the back of our house.

We are near Briones Regional Park, but only about a 100 feet above busy Springhill Road and near very busy Pleasant Hill Road. We usually have lots of deer, but none today.

He had a bushy, blacktipped tail. Is it a coyote and if so, what kind?

Should we worry about our elementary-age grandchildren playing in our field? — J.S. Nolan, Lafayette

DEAR J.S. >> From your description, it does seem to be a coyote, but you shouldn’t be overly alarmed.

Coyotes are becoming as common in our urban and suburban enclaves as raccoons, opossums and foxes. Even though they are becoming more comfortable living near humans, most still have a healthy distrust and fear of us, which works to our advantage. They are not likely to bother us and tend to keep their distance.

Coyotes are a species unto their own, although there are 19 subspecies of coyote. In our area, we have the Western coyote.

Coyotes are generally nocturnal, but it’s not unusual to see them out during the day, looking for food, scoping out new homes or being social with other coyotes. This one was probably on the hunt for a gopher, squirrel or wandering house cat.

You should keep an eye on your grandchildren and small pets. It’s not likely the coyote poses any threat, but it is a wild animal and should be treated as such. Small children and pets might attract the attention of a particularly hungry coyote, so they shouldn’t be allowed out unsupervised.

DEAR JOAN >> I have bird feeders in my backyard and was frustrated with the squirrels. I bought some slinky toys and fed them onto the poles that hold the bird feeders. When a squirrel tried to climb the pole, the movement of the slinky surprised him and he ran away. — Clara DiBona, Hayward DEAR CLARA >> Sounds like you managed to build a better mousetrap, or a poor person’s Disneyland.

If you’re anything like me, you do a lot of holiday shopping for friends and family, and mix in a little for yourself. Well, here’s a gift you can give your loved ones and yourself, and do a good deed at the same time.

The Golden Gate Audubon Society’s annual Birds of the San Francisco Bay Area photo calendar is available now, and I think this year’s edition surpasses previous editions of the always-fabulous calendar. The calendar’s stars include a bald eagle and chick nesting in Milpitas; a trio of burrowing owl siblings; an orangecrowned warbler taking a bath in Golden Gate Park; and an osprey carrying a freshly caught flounder.

Every month you’ll be treated to a lovely photo and some interesting facts on the bird and happenings. So what’s the good deed? All proceeds benefit Golden Gate Audubon’s conservation and education activities, including helping to support the live osprey camera that was launched last spring.

The price is $20, plus tax and shipping. You can view sample pages and order it at goldengateaudubon.org/calendar.