I’ve had good success finding the bobcats after rain storms, so I knew the rain would not be an excuse not to search for the bobcat family.  Thursday was a bust but we did see the mother on Friday.  Shortly before we saw her, there were a bunch of teenagers crashing through the brush nearby.  I can only assume that they saw the kittens and were trying to see how close they could get to them.  At least I hope that was the extent of their plans…  The mother kept looking in that direction, so after taking a few pictures we left her to reassemble her family.

We were relieved to find her and both kittens the following morning.  Amazingly, we ran into them just as they briefly emerged from hiding.  We were able to follow them from a distance and watch the young male do a bit of hunting before the mother decided it was time to go.  As usual, the female kitten was the last one to get the message and I got several photos of her bounding after the other two.

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“Forlorn Mother”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Family Meeting”

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“Young Female Bobcat Bounding”

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“Bobcat Mother Checking Me Out”

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“Bobcat Mother and Son”  -  Young male is in the foreground, mother is in the background.

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I can’t believe it’s been so  long since I’ve posted a bobcat update.  It’s certainly not due to a lack of sightings, since we are still seeing them nearly every day.  Last week was a time of contrasts.  The week started off with chilly but clear Fall weather and ended with a series of Winter storms that brought a decent amount of rain to the area.

While it was still dry I had two particularly good days photographing the bobcats.  On the first day the bobcats were spotted hunting out in the open while their mother watched from some nearby brush.  The young female is still quite comfortable around us and approached closely several times.  I was able to get some great backlit shots of her while she posed a few feet away.  The second day we found the young bobcats hunting at dusk and I got a nice panning shot of the male bounding away after successfully hiding from a passing dog.  We also saw a rabbit running faster than I’ve ever seen one run before.  I have a feeling the young female bobcat had something to do with that…

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“Young Female Bobcat Stalking”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Young Female Bobcat Posing”

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“Young Male Bobcat Running”

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http://santamariasun.com/cuisine/

Thankfully, the young bobcats, and their parents, did not disappear over the holiday and are still roaming around the lake together.  They’ve given me the opportunity to get some fantastic shots of them.  I feel that the first photo below is one of my best captures yet!  This is just a small selection from the last week.

~ As always, you can click on the individual photos to view them larger.

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“Young Male Bobcat Mid-Pounce”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Young Male Bobcat”

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“Adult Male Bobcat”

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“Backlit Young Female Bobcat”

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“Young Female Bobcat Stalking”

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“Young Male Running”

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Mission Codename: Unbridled Love

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Acquire a small allocation of the Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2006 Unbridled Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Clay Brock

Backgrounder:

California’s Central Coast region, and specifically Santa Barbara and San Luis Obisbo County has become one of the state’s premier regions for Pinot Noir. The generally warmer climate, moderated by the coastal fog, its sandy and clay loam soil, and broad exposure results in Pinot of exceptional purity.

The Bien Nacido Vineyard, in the Santa Maria Valley has a history that dates back to the 1830s, is one of the best Pinot Vineyards in the region. We are always excited to try the wines made from this fruit. The cooler climate and sand, chalk and sandy loam soil most influences the fruit and is ideal for Burgundian varietals.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and dark ruby red with a crystal clear core that reflects ruby and garnet hues when held to the light. Along the edges, the color fades to a pinkish violet and when swirled, clusters of slow thin legs creep down to the wine below.

Smell – Bright aromas of fleshy and tart red fruit including pomegranate and raspberry with notes of white pepper spice. Layers of oak, herbs and vanilla blend with earthy undertones.

Feel – Smooth and rich, this medium to full-bodied wine has medium soft tannins and well balanced acidity. Subtle minerality and spice that lingers into the finish keeps this wine plush and approachable.

Taste – Soft and rich with flesh red raspberry, strawberry and pomegranate meld with earth and subtle spice. Layers of vanilla, oak, black tea and a hint of tobacco emerge as this wine glides over the palate. Fruit forward in style but well integrated with layers of classic Pinot complexity.

Finish – Long with fleshy and earthy fruit and a touch of minerality fade slowly leaving a lingering black tea and spice invite another sip.

Conclusion – The 2006 Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards Unbridled Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir is a soft and rich California-styled fruit forward Pinot that is easy and approachable in its flavors but doesn’t lack for earthy and spiced complexity. Nice minerality Enjoy this wine now or for several years to come.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

Subject: Clay Brock

Date of Birth: October 18, 1962

Place of Birth: Bakersfield, Ca. (Raised in Napa, Ca.)

Wine Education: In the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo tradition, I learned by doing.

California Wine Job Brief:

Director of Winemaking, Wild Horse Winery, Templeton, Ca., 2 yrs.

VP-Winemaker, Zaca Mesa Winery, Los Olivos, Ca., 8 yrs.

Winemaker, Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo, Ca., 4 yrs.

Asst. Winemaker, Byron Winery, Santa Maria, Ca., 3 yrs.

Winemaking Philosophy: Minimalist

Signature Varietals: Pinot Noir and Rhone Style Wines

Career Highlight: Working with talented Winemakers who were willing to share their knowledge with me.

Winemaker Quote: “If we add it we will make it taste good, if we don’t add it we will make it taste better.”

AGENT WHITE: Greetings, Clay. We are thrilled to be showing your [wine] today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

WHITE: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

BROCK: My Father was a Vineyard Manager in the Napa Valley when I was growing up.

WHITE: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

BROCK: Each winery I have worked for has provided a steep learning curve, and an overall appreciation for wine.

WHITE: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

BROCK: Minimalist approach to Winemaking. Be organized, be in tuned, but let the wines make themselves. Quality is determined in the vineyard.

WHITE: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

BROCK: “Byron” Ken Brown of Byron Winery has probably been the most influential, but there have been many.

WHITE: How long have you been making wine?

BROCK: Since 1987

WHITE: Who do you make wine for?

BROCK: Selfishly, I make wine for myself. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it.

WHITE: Tell me, what makes the Santa Maria Valley so special?

BROCK: The Pacific Ocean influenced, cool climate resulting from the unique west to east orientation of the mountain ranges.

WHITE: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

BROCK: Never believe you have it all figured out, and in the words of John Wooden, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”

WHITE: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

BROCK: Busy monitoring the progress of the 2009 wines. Admittedly dreaming of a little time off to spend with the family during the holidays.

WHITE: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

BROCK: Classic Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. Very California in style, big and bold, but not heavy.

WHITE: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

BROCK: It was great with our Thanksgiving dinner!

WHITE: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

BROCK: I don’t like condiments.

WHITE: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

BROCK: Beer

WHITE: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

BROCK: Give it a shot, if you like it drink it. Don’t obsess over it.

WHITE: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

BROCK: White Burgundy

WHITE: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

BROCK: As a “Wine Spy”, could you be trusted with trade secrets?

Answer: I would give in to White Burgundy.

WHITE: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria can be seen in this satellite photo.

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Here’s a video from the other day of the mother and female bobcat kitten licking and cleaning each other.

As the title of this post indicates, we had a completely unexpected sighting of the two male bobcats together.  The two bobcats were the father and his son.  Bobcats are well known for their solitary lifestyle, apart from mating and the mother raising the young.  I have been unable to find any other record of an adult male tolerating the presence of another male.  This sighting makes me wonder if he knew that the young male was his offspring and that’s why he wasn’t chased away.  The younger male actually ran up to his father and playfully head-butted him in the side.  We were anxiously waiting for the adult to snap at the youngster, but he just abled away with the young male following closely beside him.  What an amazing thing to see!

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“A Window into their World”  -  Adult Male Bobcat ~ Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Father and Son”  -  The adult is the bottom bobcat.

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“Bored Bobcat”  -  The adult didn’t want to play, so the youngster got bored following him.

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“Young Male on his Own”

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“Flying Leap”

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Some interesting large migratory birds are finally arriving in the Santa Barbara area.  We have had flocks of Canada Geese overnighting at Lake Los Carneros and a juvenile female Northern Harrier coursing over the surrounding meadows.  There has certainly been no shortage of creatures to photograph around here recently.

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“The World’s Prettiest Mallard”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Northern Harrier”

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“Canada Geese”

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“Canada Geese Take Flight”

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“House Finch”

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“Flying into Night”

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There are many more bobcat and bird photos to post.  Due to all the great sightings recently, I think my nose is permanently bent out of shape from being smashed against the back my camera!  In any case, I have been taking the time to capture other beautiful sights along the way.  Here’s a small and colorful selection of recent views at Lake Los Carneros.

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“Intimate Field”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Pink Rainbow”

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“Solar Shine”

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“Purple Mountains”

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“Gadwall Greets the Day”

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Here are a few more photos from some of our recent bobcat encounters.  For the first time, we had another wild animal point out the location of one of the cats.  An agitated crow was calling incessantly from a treetop, which isn’t too unusual.  But then it flew down from the tree and looped low over the ground while angrily shrieking.  Sure enough, one of the bobcats was lying in the grass right where the crow had indicated.

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“Clean Kitty”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, Ca

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“Contemplative Bobcat”

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“Bobcat on the Move”

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“Crow’s Discovery”

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“The Pounce”

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“Extreme Eye-glow”

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The bobcat kittens have not been nearly as easily visible as they had been.  Partly this is due to the decreased amount of daylight after work, but they also seem to be spending more time hunting on their own.  Fortunately, a bunch of us have still quite a bit of success finding them.  Last week Tuesday was a particularly lucky day.  To start with, we saw the bobcats both in the morning and evening that day.  It was a lot of fun to watch them walking through a dew covered field as they attempted to avoid the dewy vegetation.  The female kitten was particularly funny, as she bounded from one spot to another in an attempt to avoid walking through the grass.  Life’s tough when you’re small!

In the evening, after a ton of looking around, we spotted the mother run across a path.  She seemed to vanish into thin air, however several minutes later the two kittens were spotted in an adjacent field.  I found myself inadvertently too close to them and started to slowly crept in the opposite direction.  It appeared that this caution was unwarranted, because the young male’s curiosity got the better of him and walked right over to me!  He looked up at me, gave a few quick sniffs and decided I wasn’t a threat, and then returned to hunting with the other bobcats.  After that encounter, I circled back away from the cats and attempted to head towards the main path.  As I rounded a bend in the trail I came upon the mother sitting only  a few feet away!  Another photographer motioned for me to look for another bobcat and I was rewarded by seeing the male kitten posing on a decaying stump only a few feet further away.  After getting a few pictures, we let them get back to their nightly hunt.

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“Early Risers”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Sniff Test”

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“Only Feet Away”

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“Posing for the Cameras”

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“Waiting for Sis”

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The young female bobcat put on quite a show on Saturday at Lake Los Carneros in Goleta.  She caught and killed a small rodent just before we first spotted her.  This cat must be a firm believer that “practice makes perfect” because she spent the next ten to fifteen minutes batting around and pouncing on her prize.  This may seem like play to us but it is important that she practice and improve her hunting skills and reflexes.

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“Bobcat Leap”  -  Click on the above image to view it larger.

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Close-up of panel two.

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“Safe Landing”

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“Leaping Away”

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We had another great week out here.  Lots of people saw the bobcats and I was able to get a lot of great photos.  Based on what we are seeing, we think that the young bobcats are about to get pushed out of their mother’s territory.  The literature indicates that this could happen any time within the next month or so.  I know that a lot of people have enjoyed seeing them!

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“Ready to Pounce”  -  Bobcat at Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Bored Bobcat”

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“Keeping a Low Profile”

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“Contemplative Cat”

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“Curiosity”

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Our unprecedented bobcat viewing streak has come to an end.  Prior to Thursday we had seen them the past six days in a row.  However, it may not be a bad thing that they aren’t so readily findable.  There has been a sudden increase in the number of people looking for them and I wonder how that is impacting their hunting.  Bobcats are crepuscular, meaning that they are active primarily at dawn and dusk.  It can’t be good for them if they spend half their hunting time watching photographers or being pursued by them.  The young have the added stress of having to avoid the adult male.  Being forced to move around the lake wastes valuable hunting time and takes energy.  I hope us photographers aren’t having too much of a negative impact on them, because I would feel terrible if one starved to death because of us.

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“Sunrise over Lake Los Carneros”  -  Goleta, CA

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The two bobcat kids were back last night and were in a very playful mood.  They were a ton of fun to watch.  I’m thrilled that I managed to capture some of their antics on video!  I highly recommend watching it in HD.  It’s amazing how fast they are.  We got to watch one sprinting after a rabbit and they were both just brown blurs.

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“Young Female Bobcat”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Young Female Bobcat”

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“Young Female Bobcat”

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“Young Male Bobcat”

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The local bobcat family put on quite a show Sunday evening.  There many people there getting to see them for the first time and a healthy contingent of photographers and birders.  Both of the young were busy hunting while their mother was lounging in the sun, although she disappeared after they invaded her personal space one too many times.  The highlight was watching the young male playing with a rodent he caught.  I was caught completely off guard when he started throwing his prize in the air and jumping after it.  I did manage to get one shot that I’m quite happy with.

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“Mouse Toss”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Young Male Bobcat”

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“Young Female Bobcat”

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“Young Male Bobcat”

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“Bobcat Kids and Mom”

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“Young Male Bobcat”

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I’ve been wondering when or if we would be lucky enough to see all four bobcats in one day.  I figured this would require spending all day at the park or making numerous trips per day.  I never would have expected that we would see all of them within half an hour.  On Tuesday we stumbled upon the mother and her young right at the beginning of our walk.  They were incredibly cooperative and spent a lot of time moving around us.  Watching them interact is fascinating and makes one wonder how they communicate with each other.  Somehow the young seem to know when it is safe to explore and when their mother is ready to move on.  Having watched them closely, it is not as simple as the young simply following their mother.  Quite often the young seem to initiate the move to a new location and when they were younger the mother would hunt alone, leaving them near their den.

After watching the mother and her young for quite awhile, we watched them cross the path in front of us and disappear into the brush. Prior to our next bobcat sighting we came upon several birds attempting to scare away a snake.  A California Kingsnake was lying below a patch of fennel and was being mobbed by Towhees and Sparrows.  Their efforts did not seem very effective and in fact seemed to put them in quite a bit of danger.   At this point we were at the opposite end of the lake from the rest of the bobcat family.  I glanced down to where we found the male bobcat on Sunday and shockingly he was standing right there!  I managed to only get a few shots while he traversed the brush below us before he disappeared.  He does not seem to be as casual as the other bobcats and is always either hunting or marking territory.

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“Bobcat Family”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, Ca

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“Bobcat Mother and Son”

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“All Lined Up”

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“Bobcat Mother and Son”

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“Annoyed Mother”

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“Bobcat Daughter”

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“Mother and Son Again”

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“Bobcat Mother Leaving”

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“Bobcat Father Prowling”

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“Bobcat Father Glare”

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Dragonflies are really amazing creatures, but I might be a bit biased, having worked with them in a research lab at Penn State while in college.  (Believe it or not, dragonflies can help us understand aspects of heart disease.)  Back then I didn’t even think of attempting to photograph one in flight.  They are very quick and rarely stay in one place for long.  Instead, I stuck to doing static macro photography.

My first attempts several years ago were marginal successes. However, most were photographed from above, with dark water as the background.  Unfortunately, I felt this made each image appear the same and they were artistically lacking.  This approach made focusing easier but didn’t get me the results I wanted.  My more recent dragonfly photos have improved because I try to photograph them in front of a background that complements their colors and I also get low and photograph them eye-to-eye.  Being at their same level changes the perspective dramatically, and for the better!

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“Green Darner”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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After hearing several reports and seeing photographic evidence that the adult male bobcat was around, we finally found him this morning!  It was a somewhat surreal encounter.  I was searching for the Virginia Rail along the edge of the lake at sunrise where there was very little cover along the shoreline.  All of a sudden all the ducks and coots flushed from the shoreline and we joked that the bobcat might be nearby.  We focused our search on the far shore on the opposite side of the peninsula.  Little did we know that he was hidden less than ten feet away from us the whole time!  When we turned back around we were startled to see the bobcat walking slowly a few feet away.  Once he realized we had seen him, he ran away.  We were able to leapfrog him and watch him reappear on the other side of the reeds and brush.  It was a very cool encounter and is amazing how well they can remain hidden.

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“Adult Male Bobcat”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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In addition to some great wildlife sightings at the lake, there has been plenty of great light.  This makes deciding where to head with my camera easy.  With all the recent bobcat sightings it is great that I can photograph such a variety of other subjects and landscapes while out looking for the cats.  On Saturday morning I was particularly struck by the morning light highlighting the palms while the mist covered lake remained in shade.  Watching the mist blow across the lake as the sun rose was truly a mesmerizing scene.

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“Paradise”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Illuminated Palms”

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“Surprise Sunset”

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“Colliding Clouds”

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Here’s a video of the Virginia Rail that was seen at Lake Los Carneros yesterday morning.

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Here are a few photos of the bobcats seen at Lake Los Carneros today.  I didn’t get any great shots of the mother, so these are all of the young male.  The cats were not in a cooperative mood today, probably because they had just been chased by a couple of unleashed dogs.  The careless owners didn’t seem very troubled by the trauma their dogs had inflicted on the local wildlife.  There was another surprise canine appearance while we watched the bobcats; a coyote dashed across the path and bounded down the hill towards the hidden cats, whereupon it vanished into the brush and wasn’t seen or heard again.  Strangely, the coyote’s presence didn’t seem to bother the two bobcats.

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“Bobcat on the Move”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Curious Cat”

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“Hiding”

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“Bath Time”

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“Center of Attention”

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On Friday morning I ran out to the lake to look for the bobcats.  The light was amazing and I wish I had brought my tripod and a wide-angle lens.  To make up for that poor decision making, I tried again today.  I was rewarded with some great shots of a Green Heron and Virginia Rail in addition to some wonderful landscapes.  We weren’t able to find the bobcats in the morning, however we had better luck later in the day!  I’ll post the landscape and bobcat shots separately.

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“Green Heron I”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, Ca

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“Green Heron II”

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“Virginia Rail”

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“Scrub Jay”

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“Eared Grebe”

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“Coot Chase”

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A couple days ago we saw the young bobcats again, and they were very cooperative.  It appears that they feel especially safe in this one area of the park.  However, we did miss seeing the father later that night and just missed seeing the young female last night.  Bo Criss posted some great shots from those encounters on flickr.  I’m still completely amazed at how often we get to see these beautiful creatures.  It is unclear whether either of the young bobcats will stick around the lake long-term, so I’m spending as much time as possible watching them while they’re still here.  I hope you enjoy seeing all of these bobcat photos as much as I do!

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“Male Bobcat”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, Ca

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“Male Bobcat Hiding”

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“Male Bobcat Watching his Sister”

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“Female Bobcat Watching her Brother”

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What a week!   I don’t think I’ve ever seen the bobcats so many times in such a short period of time.   We had another close encounter with the cats yesterday morning.   (They were about 5-10 feet away.)   This was the first time in quite awhile that we have seen the mother with her young.   It’s been fun to watch their personalities develop.  The young male is easily spooked and ran for cover as soon as he saw us, while the young female is very curious and sat down and stared at us until her mother told her it was time to leave.

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“Bobcat Mother”  -  Lake Los Carneros, Goleta, CA

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“Bobcat Daughter Close-up”

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“Bobcat Daughter Scratching”

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