Leaves continue to erupt on this cooler day in the 50’s. Northwoods residents will wonder where the bears have gone as the bears fill up on large-leafed aster on the forest floor, aspen leaves in the treetops, and blue-joint grass in the black ash swamps. Jo’s GPS locations today showed her to be foraging along the edge of a black ash swamp, staying within an area only 0.36 miles long all day. Lily was mostly in the uplands, staying within an area only 0.46 miles long. June moved a mile with her 2 big cubs.
A video of Faith from May 10 has been posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfENtrpYNKE.
A story about Lily and Hope will air on WCCO-TV news on Monday evening.
A paper on bear attacks is in the Journal of Wildlife Management and is covered at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11bears.html?_r=1.
Birds are coming north in numbers. A favorite arrived today—the rose-breasted grosbeak. They sing like mellow robins. This one came to the feeder outside the window.
The link to show support for making the black bear Minnesota’s state mammal is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BlackBear-MNState-Mammal/. Anyone, anywhere, of all ages can sign it if you have a web address. You don’t have to be from Minnesota to sign it.
In the Readers Digest contest to win money for Ely, you still have Ely securely in 6th place (in the money) with only 5 days to go. The link to vote 10 times in a row each day through May 16 is http://wehearyouamerica.readersdigest.com/town.jsp?town=ELY&state=MN.
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center