Bobcat Encounter

This morning, around 4:50am, I was sitting on the edge of one of our cuckoo sites, waiting patiently for the sun to rise and hoping a cuckoo pair might conduct a vocal exchange. These vocal exchanges occur when one of the mated pair of cuckoos flies in and takes over incubation for the day. Typically, the male sits on the eggs at night and the female sits on them during the day. Hearing these vocal exchanges can help us determine where a nest may be located.

As I sat and listened this morning, I was fortunate enough to hear a vocal exchange. It came from the area that one of our tagged birds hangs out, so I hope it is his nest. A few minutes after the vocal exchange, I noticed two animals walking out of the trees about 100 meters away. I got them in binos and realized they were two adult Bobcats and they were walking right towards me!

The larger of the two turned and began walking towards me, but a few rows in to the trees, while the other, smaller, Bobcat continued to walk right towards me. The smaller Bobcat (pictured below) walked right up, until he was even with me and about 20 feet away and sat down and began licking his leg. The other Bobcat circled around me and then stood in the trees, watching me. The smaller one then got up and circled me also, then continued walking, until it was out of view behind some stacks of hay. The larger cat disappeared into the trees.

Bobcat - cell phone photo of when the cat walked up to me

A few days ago I saw an adult Bobcat with two kittens, those were my second, third, and fourth Bobcats ever, making today’s the fifth and sixth! It was such an amazing experience to just be sitting quietly as two wild cats circled around me, checking me out, and then continued on their way (probably out to get food for their young).