Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, where I run, isn’t well lit after dark but last week I went out there anyway even though the sun was already setting. It was after work and a little bit later than I usually go out there, but I knew the sunlight would last long enough to run a couple miles. Near the beginning of my route, there’s a half-paved, half-wooden bridge where, if you stop, gives you a good view of the bay. I didn’t stop, but just after I crossed it this night, I had a pretty cool run in with a couple of bobcats. They walked out of the brush just as I jogged past about ten feet away. One of them kept going and turned back into the brush, but the other stopped and just watched me. I wish I’d had my camera, but of course that would have made running difficult.

Yesterday, I tried out a new route to ride my bike home from work. It led me through William R. Mason Regional Park. The park has a narrow strip of land that serves as a nature preserve in the middle of a very urban area right next to the University of California in Irvine. There’s a nice paved path through the preserve that makes for an enjoyable commute to work. I liked it so much, I took the same route going to work this morning and again on my way home. It was on the way home tonight that I had another wish-I-had-my-camera moment. I turned a corner and there in the middle of the path stood a coyote. It saw me coming and moved off to the side and, like the bobcat, watched me ride by from about ten feet away.

I usually only see various birds, rabbits and western fence lizards, so these run-ins were pretty exciting. I’ll let you know if I come across any other interesting wildlife.