The first time it happened was about a month ago. Wylie started barking around 3 A.M. and after a few minutes I realized it was because of an unidentifiable noise coming from out past the backyard. I closed the bedroom window so the sound was muted and Wylie decided that was good enough and went back to sleep.
It happened again last night, but this time I listened a bit more carefully. At first, I thought it sounded something like a wild turkey or some other large bird. But very few birds (not even Terry Dactyl) are awake at 3 A.M. After listening a bit more, I thought it sounded a bit like a cat yowling. At least one of my neighbors has a cat that spends most of its time outdoors so I’ve heard plenty of yowling during the summer months, but that wasn’t quite right either. As the sound drew nearer, I identified it as more of a yipping bark. That’s when I realized what was going on. The coyotes were checking out the neighborhood.
Not so long ago, the Washington Post magazine section had a feature article about coyotes coming into this area. Although some people don’t like them, they’re generally the same people who overfill (or otherwise don’t properly close) their trashcans and then wonder why they draw nuisance animals. The coyotes are just exploiting a food source. For myself, I find their willingness to adapt to be somewhat fascinating.
Wylie and the coyotes (which I can’t help thinking, would be an excellent name for a band) traded barks a minute or two longer and then the yipping receded into the distance. Wylie then curled up next to the bed and went back to sleep.
It wasn’t until our walk this morning that I realized what had happened. Wylie had heard "The Call of the Wild" and, disgusted with the early hour, he’d hung up on them.