Bay Nature has an excellent short video on the virtues of coyotes. Bottom line: the presence of large predators in an ecosystem proves it’s working at all levels.

Here’s the vid:

I’ve seen coyotes dozens of times on my hikes, especially in the East Bay hills. At least one family of them appears to be living in Mission Peak. One of the few of I’ve managed to get a picture of:

From this hike in the spring of 2006.

The barks/cries of coyotes are always a bit alarming the first time you hear them. Then they start making you feel at home.