Animals at Jericho Beach

We live less than 10 minutes (drive) away from Jericho Beach. It is one of my favouritest places to go for walks. Not only is the beach bootiful and all, it also has all kinds of wild life that I absolutely love!!!

Animal 1: (Video taken on 08-23-10)

This was inside the sailing school where all the sail boats, canoes, and kayaks were parked. I smelled something inside one of the old, rusted storage units that was on the ground and nudged it open with my SuperNOSE (mum: and a fat, black rat ran over the top of my foot. I was wearing flip flops.), and mum SCREAMED (I have no idea why).

Oh, and mum made me trim the video. She said we shouldn't really show the public the rest of the clip.... *BURP*.. excuse me.

Animal 2: (Video taken on 01-28-11)

I have had 3 encounters with this animal, today being the 3rd.

This video is actually very boring, but it shows the animal. It was taken the first time I encountered the animal. Mum had finally caught me after chasing me (chasing after the animal) all the way down the beach, up the field, over the parking lot. She hooked me up onto the leash after she caught me. I guess that was enough exercise for her for that day. (mum: it's amazing how fast an 11 year old can still run when she decides something is worth her energy.)

(mum: We were walking on the beach one morning, and all of a sudden, there was a little grey head that popped up from behind the drift wood pile. The head disappeared almost as fast as it popped up. Sunshade right away started huffing and puffing, tail held straight up, and she started tracking with her nose. She ran towards the drift wood. Nowadays, she doesn't really go out of her way to greet dogs. She would have a sniff or two if she crosses path with one, but that's about it. So there I was thinking to myself - Why does she want to meet that Shiba Inu so bad?

It wasn't until I saw their side profiles running up the field did I realize the Shiba Inu was the same height as my Airedale, and it held its tail low...... Needless to say, I was relieved that Sunshade was the one doing the chasing instead of the other way around. Yes, I finally figured out what it was.... Somehow, I always expected to see yellow Coyotes.)

Our second encounter with this Coyote came just a few days after the first. We were back at Jericho Beach, and I was inside the sailing club looking for rats and bunnies. All of a sudden, through the mesh fencing, I saw IT chasing a big black Lab who was looking very scared & confused. The Lab's owner was trying to shoosh it away, but he wouldn't leave them alone.

So being a SuperDALE, I went to their rescue!! (mum: She saw the Coyote before I did, I had no chance.) I ran all the way down to the exit of the sailing school and then all the way back up the path behind the Lab and the Coyote. The funny thing was that as soon as the Coyote caught a glimpse of me, he changed his course. He went the other way, away from the poor Lab. Based on his reaction, I was pretty certain it was the same Coyote I chased just days ago.

Unless............ ALL Coyotes are scared of the SuperDALE?

Anyway, when he went the other way, towards some tall grass, I followed him. I could vaguely hear mum yelling, but this was SERIOUS business you know? (mum: as in she ignored me) He entered behind some heavy bushes trying to get away from me, but I was in heavy pursuit..... until I sorta got stuck inside those tall, heavy bushes, and came out the way I went in..... Except mum didn't know, she was waiting at the other end where the Coyote had come out already. (mum: By this time, I really wasn't too worried about this Coyote after seeing the way he'd responded to Sunshade.)

When I caught up to mum, she was talking to a man with a heavy fresh-off-the-boat accent. Apparently, he saw the Coyote come out from behind the bushes, and then saw mum running towards those heavy bushes. In an attempt to help, he pointed at the Coyote and told mum - YOUR DOG!

Mum *almost* laughed, but she didn't. She pointed at me (I had caught up to mum and was continuing my chase) and told the funny man - This is my dog, that's a coyote!!

The man had a very puzzled look and said - NOT YOUR DOG?? (mum: I don't think he knew what a coyote was. Afterall, we don't have Coyotes in Asia!!!)

Our third encounter was today, when I saw him casually strolling down the beach. MY beach!

I again, made a B-line for him before mum had realized what was happening. I chased him away from the beach, down the field and OUT of MY park for the first time!!! No, I didn't go out of the park myself. I stood in MY park and glared at him to make sure he was OUT and stayed OUT! He kept stopping and looking back at me, but would always decide to keep moving AWAY from MY park. Smart, I'll give him that.

(mum: Sunshade has always been very protective and intuitive. I'm sure somehow she knew the Coyote was up to no good the first time she caught a sight of him. From her body language, I could tell that she was in her protective mode. She was not chasing him because she wanted to meet him, she was chasing him because she wanted him AWAY. Maybe the Coyote could tell and that's why he would chase a Lab that is much bigger than Sunshade, but would run at the sight of her approaching. Or maybe she's just that big of a B*TCH!)

Animal 3: (Video taken today, AFTER chasing the Coyote out of the park)

Being the protective SuperDALE that I am, I went and warned those bunnies about the Coyote. Told them maybe they shouldn't eat out in the open, and made sure they went home.

Isn't Jericho Beach just the most wonderfulest place???

Note to Jaspa: Can you leave us your e-mail in the comment section, we won't publish it ;-)