Summer sneaked in while we were off to Alaska. The tiny whitish leaves of big-toothed aspen, the last leaves to open, expanded and became green, giving the forest the full look of summer. The clutch of 8 hooded merganser eggs in the nest box at the field station is hatched and gone. Mink frogs, the last of the 8 frog species to start calling, are finally calling for mates along with green frogs and gray tree frogs. Pincherry and chokecherry fruits are green and swelling as part of the berry course for the summer. The forest floor is ever changing.
The picture of the bunchberry blossoms, also called dwarf dogwood, have large-leafed aster leaves in the left foreground—leaves that were a favored bear food a few weeks ago when they were small and furled but are now ignored. The compound leaf in the upper right by the piece of wood is vetch—a current bear food. The cluster of tiny blossoms near the upper left is Canada mayflower, which produces berries that are seldom eaten. Bunchberries are eaten but not a favorite, either. In this woods, you have to be a juneberry, wild sarsaparilla berry, cherry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, honeysuckle berry, high-bush cranberry, round-leafed dogwood berry, red-osier dogwood berry, alder-leafed dogwood berry, downy arrowwood berry, hawthorn berry, three-leafed Solomon seal berry, or winterberry to rate with these bears.
We don’t know how long it will continue, but the four amigos are still grouping in various combinations as they meet and greet and travel together to wrestle and perhaps provide extra eyes to look for danger. Yearlings are especially alert and cautious. Yearling females have a less carefree agenda as they try to carve out small parts of their mothers’ territories for their own. As playful as they are when still with their mothers, they don’t have much opportunity to play after family break-up. Occasionally, they will hook up with a male sibling to play briefly, but sisters become competitors for space after family break-up and there is nothing but tension when they meet.
We’re watching with gratitude as we see you building toward the $2,000 matching offer—nearly halfway with two days to go. Thank you Team Bear and all the participants. Team Bear says this Matching Funds Special Event Drawing Fundraiser runs through Sunday 6/19 at 11:00 AM EST. The Photo Album at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150225187595499.352102.263755115498 has pictures and descriptions of the items. All the money will go toward reducing the debt.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center