Spring green-up is at its height. The recent rains and warm weather have brought on a flush of succulent vegetation. Lily and family are busy taking advantage of it. This afternoon they moved to a clear-cut where they foraged on wild lettuce, hawkweed, and peavine. The vegetation is so abundant they were simply grabbing a bite here and there as they traveled through. Lily was actively marking by stomping and straddling small conifers as she moved through the clear-cut. From the direction of their travel, we expect they are on their way to additional clear-cuts further out in Lily’s territory.
Lily and Hope were also checking stumps and logs in the clear-cut. Ant colonies are not well developed because of the cold wet spring, but whenever pupae were found they were eagerly licked up. We need some hot dry days to give the ant colonies a boost, but more rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow.
Lily took a break at the edge of the clear-cut to nurse Hope and Faith. When she leaned back we were amazed to see how swollen her mammae were. Even her inguinal mammae were nicely swollen. A big change from the worrisome days a month ago when Lily was sick and her milk dried up. No worries about Lily having enough milk now! After a few minutes of nursing, Lily broke it off and returned to foraging.
This was the first time we saw Faith actively foraging. She fed on wild lettuce, peavine, aspen leaves, and large-leaf aster.
June has moved back to the contested clover patch. The previously-browsed clover has likely generated new growth after the recent rains. A video of June foraging yesterday is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJy1dgeYbDI.
Two of RC's yearlings, Jim and Bill (pictured at right), were seen together today—but without RC. Later RC was seen alone. Has family breakup happened or are family ties really this loose? Bill and Jim seemed more relaxed than we usually see for yearlings right after family breakup, so we won't be surprised to see them all together again soon.
The petition to make the black bear Minnesota’s state mammal is athttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BlackBear-MNState-Mammal/.
The place to leave a comment for protection of radio-collared bears on T. R.’s Facebook page is athttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Protect-Minnesotas-Research-Bears/160331730697185. T. R. will pass your comments to officials.
Minnesota residents who would like to get their legislators on board for the next legislative session, almost a year away, can find your local legislators at http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center