Bobcat Kittens!
On June 1, Laura Brackett, my neighbor across the street, called with exciting news. “The bobcat is in my backyard and has 4 kittens!” So, the bobcat that has been ranging in our westside Colorado Springs neighborhood since April 22 is definitely a female and has found adequate food, water and shelter to make this her temporary home. The bobcat has hidden her den and kittens underneath thick juniper bushes in the Brackett’s backyard.
During the past week, Laura and I have tried to photograph the growing family without disturbing the mother bobcat. We quietly observe and photograph from the Brackett’s second-floor deck. We think that the kittens are about five weeks old and were kept hidden the first few weeks.
Laura and her husband Dave observe the bobcat family in the morning and early evening when the mother nurses her kittens next to their juniper-sheltered den. Watching with binoculars, Laura and Dave report that the mother bobcat is successful in finding prey for her kittens. In addition to a fox squirrel, the Bracketts have also seen the remains of both a red fox and a skunk.
On June 9, the mother bobcat nursed her kittens closer to the house and Laura captured some great images. My thanks to Laura Brackett for providing the following photos that record part of the mother bobcat’s daily life.
Bobcat Kittens in constant motion.
Bobcat nursing her kittens
Bobcat Kitten after nursing
Kitten plays in leaves
Mother bobcat & curious kittens
Almost finished nursing
Morning feeding completed
FYI: The white object visible in some of the photos is part of the drip sprinkler system. For more information and photos about our neighborhood bobcat, please visit my April and May Colorado Nature Narratives Blog postings.