Coyotes are increasingly appearing in urban areas all over Ontario. And Bilberry Creek Ravine forest trail walkers are lately abuzz over new sightings. People we come across by happenstance who live directly abutting the ravine say they've seen coyotes in full daylight from their homes. We've been hearing of their presence for over a decade, now. Formerly we had seen them only on occasion around the great wilderness area of Algonquin Park.

Originally, it seemed hard to credit that the animals were making their home in the ravine, but we've heard too many credible accounts and seen ghostly night-time photos taken by residents, of coyotes lurking over the fences of their backyards backing onto the ravine. Moreover, we trust the veracity of some of those who narrate their experience with the coyotes.

On one occasion, a white German shepherd we know well, had been 'invited' to play with a coyote, and followed it into the forest interior. His human companion caught up just in time to see his dog cavorting with a coyote off the trail, and saw another two approaching, when he urgently called his dog back to him and the coyotes disappeared. Nova would have been ambushed, if Rod hadn't appeared when he had. Forewarned is forearmed. That was an early-morning brush with danger.

Another friend, an area firefighter with two mid-sized terrier mixes, took a few videos of coyotes just outside his fence, running back and forth. He now accompanies his little dogs out to the backyard when they venture out at night. He sees no reason why coyotes wouldn't jump his fence if they had a mind to.

Before the morning light and after dusk falls in the ravine are times when they could be seen formerly. At one time, when there were more grouse, red foxes, porcupines, beavers, deer, wild turkeys and skunks around decades ago it wasn't all that uncommon to see some of them emerge on occasion from the ravine. Their habitat has been too badly impinged upon since then, so there are far fewer about and sightings have decreased exponentially.

But for the presence of coyotes, sightings have gone the other way. Today while we were out with Jackie and Jillie during our usual ramble through the woodland trails, we came across a woman we see infrequently, with her little Scottie dog which she had been walking leashed. She asked if we'd heard about the 60-pound dog that had been attacked by a coyote and needed surgery afterward. We had, everyone had; evidently it was posted to Facebook.

We're concerned as it is, to be vigilant while we're out, but felt reassured that we weren't coming out other than in bright daylight hours. Now that reassurance has evaporated, since increasing sightings are taking place at any time of day and night; it seems the animals have been emboldened, perhaps because their numbers have increased, and they need a wider food source to accommodate the pack.

So we put Jackie and Jillie on leash for our hour's ramble through the trails, curtailing their freedom and complicating ours. Jillie walks fine on leash, Jackie is a little hellion, he's here and there and everywhere; a free spirit whose freedom has been compromised, though he doesn't complain. I'm the one complaining because he's quite impossible, zipping about hither and yon, this side then the other. I'm not much of a disciplinarian, although I've tried for years to teach him to walk calmly by my side.

This was also one of those all-weather days; moderately cold early in the day, with the presence of sun and a biting wind. The temperature began slowly falling because we're expecting a low of 19C tonight, and the sky beginning to cloud over, bringing episodes of snow that the wind gusted into whipped cream at times.

When we approached the last of the bridges we cover in our circuit, we could see some of the goldfish in the frigid stream, swimming about through the cascades, leaving us to wonder yet again at the ability of some fish species we normally associate with warmer climes since these are an exotic species, to adapt to such inclement conditions.