Photo by Patrick Obrien
6:50 p . m .: It ’ s almost dark , and I ’ m getting hungry . Time to leave my favorite daytime resting spot behind these homes on Surfsong Road . These secondary dunes have some of thickest , “ scrub-shrub ” vegetation on Kiawah and provide me with a great place to rest during the day . My other favorite resting spot is in the dense vegetation along the marsh edge . Both of these areas are vital to my survival on Kiawah . As I sit here in the dunes , humans constantly walk by on the boardwalks going to the beach . They have no idea that I ’ ve been sitting here all day , perfectly concealed in these dense tangles of wax myrtles and catbriers .
8:10 p . m .: I ’ m on the move ! I think I ’ ll head west down Surfsong Road to start my nightly circuit of my range , here in the center of the Island . I need to loop around the end of Canvasback Pond so I can head north . Like other adult females on Kiawah , my home range is about half the size of a dominant adult male . But unlike the males , who are very territorial , we often share our space with other females .
9:40 p . m .: I ’ ve followed the “ edge ” habitat along the 18 th hole and driving range at Turtle Point Golf Course up to Governors Drive , just across from Airy Hall . I ’ ve kept a pretty steady pace through this area and haven ’ t come across any mice or rats , yet . Even though it ’ s pretty late , I have to be extra careful crossing the street here — vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for bobcats on Kiawah , so to all those cars out there , please slow down when you ’ re driving at night !
Midnight : I just made a brief visit to the Wassén Preserve at 9 Airy Hall — the first piece of land that was protected by the Kiawah Conservancy back in the year 2000 before I was born ! Although it is just a small parcel , the maritime forest habitat provides a good place to get some cover as I travel through the night . Deer and birds use these permanent conservation areas all the time , too . Before moving too much farther east , I finally caught a nice , big marsh rat for dinner . The suburban environment on Kiawah makes it a little easier for me to find and catch my prey . But I ’ m also thankful for all of the green space , habitats , and protected areas that allow me to rest and den here .
2:31 a . m .: After that nice meal , I ’ ve been back on the move , traversing the “ Halls ” towards the Vanderhorst Plantation and Flyway Drive , then back across Governors Drive . After following the “ edge ” corridor along number 14 at Osprey
Point Golf Course back to Bufflehead Pond , I decided to cross the cart bridge here to continue my route . People may not realize it , but we use many of the bridges and paths on Kiawah to get around . Some of my pals on the west end of the Island even cross the Kiawah River Bridge on the Parkway ! 4:00 a . m .: I just cruised along the edge of Canvasback Pond again , as I head back toward the beach and my favorite resting spot in the dunes . I love to travel and hunt through all these human yards , especially the ones with dense understory vegetation . Many property owners have the “ Naturally Kiawah ” emblem on their mailbox post , which signifies that the property maintains valuable habitat for wildlife . Thank you for adding to Kiawah ’ s rich habitat by improving the natural spaces in your yards !
5:10 a . m .: The sun will be coming up soon . I need to hustle back to the dunes , but on the way , I passed close to Augusta National . I ’ ve been there before , and it looks like I might be able to find a den site around there , if I need to in the future .*
5:20 a . m .: I just crossed Canvasback Pond , using the bridge that connects the leisure path to the beach . I really didn ’ t feel like walking all the way around the pond . After I proceed through a couple more “ Naturally Kiawah ” yards on Surfsong Road , I get back to my resting spot in the dunes , about an hour before sunrise .
As you can see , I use many of the habitats on Kiawah to travel , hunt , and rest — from the dune fields and marsh edges to the maritime forests , golf courses , and backyards . They are all very important to me . But these daytime resting areas and large undeveloped spaces of habitat are especially important for us bobcats to continue living on Kiawah , because they provide the areas we need to rest and hide during the day and also raise our kittens . With your help and the continued efforts of the Kiawah Conservancy to acquire land and conservation easements , work with residents to improve “ backyard ” habitat , and educate the community on the needs of wildlife , I think we ’ ll be here for a long time ! NK
* Bobcat 118 ’ s den was located under a vacant house on Augusta National , just prior to when her GPS collar was released . Two healthy kittens were located by Town Wildlife Biologists at her den — the first documented bobcat den under a house on Kiawah .
WINTER / SPRING 2017 • VOLUME 37
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