Bobcat on the Hunt
Nature photographer Ian Shive gets a rare close-up of a bobcat hunting ground squirrels in California's Central Coast.
Interactions with wildlife are always special. As you’ve seen in past episodes, such as the one in Channel Islands National Park where are harbor seal tried to pull my diving fins off, they are often unexpected and extraordinarily fun to try and film and photograph.
Nature in Focus | Bobcat on the Hunt
The latest episode focuses on a situation that is a little unusual, because has been a little more predictable. For nearly six months, an area just below my home in an open area has resulted in almost weekly sightings of a gorgeous, fluffy bobcat. The cat seems somewhat comfortable with people, though doesn’t linger for too long. As a nature photographer, I of course want to capture this, but my sightings were always a bit of a tease. I’d usually be in my car on my way to get errands when the cat would pop out of the meadow.
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Photos: Bobcat on the Hunt 10 Photos
Nature photographer Ian Shive gets a rare close-up of a bobcat hunting ground squirrels in California's Central Coast. See the technique used to photograph the bobcat in action, right in his own backyard.
That was until a very special day recently. My friend Karine Aigner was visiting, and while she was heading back home, managed to spot the bobcat hunting ground squirrels in a meadow! At first I thought she was kidding around, but she said I need to get down there ASAP! So I grabbed my camera, and while still wearing my slippers, found the spot and managed to capture a brief moment in time with this bobcat and using something other than my iPhone!
Be sure to check out the latest episode and see how this six month journey unfolded, from spotting bobcats on a neighbors trail camera, to countless iPhone videos, to the final hunting spectacle on a wonderful Sunday morning!
