Lily and cubs Lynn is back after a great getaway with his wife Donna. In Louisiana, the people, food, and wildlife were all good experiences. When Lynn and Donna got off the airplane, a stranger who had overheard them talking was kind enough to steer them to the best place of all—Lake Martin near Breaux Bridge, LA. Their luck continued the next day when they visited there and came upon Champagne’s Swamp Tours a few minutes before a tour began. Guy LeBlanc ran the boat and knew his way around the swamp where every direction looked the same on that sunless rainy day. Despite the lack of sun, 3 alligators were visible and a multitude of various birds.
Lily and cubsEveryone we met in Louisiana was friendly. A highlight was striking up a conversation with a of couple men on a back road and being invited to follow them back in the woods to a crawfish boil they were having with their friends. This short update doesn’t do them justice. The warm comradery among the people there, obviously all tightly bonded old friends, was great to see. To be invited to join them was special. They never asked anything about us beyond where we were from. They just seemed happy to be joined by a couple down-to-earth birdwatchers that obviously were enjoying the same part of the world they all loved. Talking about how they caught and prepared the crawfish united us. More about that in another update.
Verizon interviews Lynn at Lily's den shedToday 
Lily's denwas an interview day with our great partner Verizon. With their new 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution), they were amused that the signal was actually too strong and that we got better results with a normal antenna instead of a high gain one. They, along with Digi International and the Technology Team have been wonderful. We looked at Lily’s den with binoculars and telephoto and couldn’t see the icicles in front of the lens, of course, but we saw plenty of icicles on other sticks nearby. We hope it gets warm enough for them to drop away.
Verizon videos at Jewel's denWe also came close enough to Jewel’s den for a picture and to let the interviewer video the entrance. We noticed the tracks from the resident who quietly approached the den yesterday.
Tracks of visitor to Jewel's denFrom reports, the bears were aware but not disturbed yesterday and today. As we approached, we heard a yearling begging to nurse at Jewel’s den, then it was quiet while we were there. Viewers reported that Jewel and the yearling stared intently toward the den entrance. To us, this is another example of how lucky we are to have the technology that makes the den cams possible. In the old days when the only way to see life in a den was to look inside, we never saw undisturbed behavior. Now, we not only see their undisturbed lives for weeks on end, we can also see their reactions to mild disturbances near the den.
Den Cam antenna at Ted's denTed’s Den Cam is broadcasting but will need a bit of tweaking before we are satisfied with the image. Check it out at http://www.bear.org/website/live-cameras/live-cameras/ted-nabc-cam-2013-now-live.html.
Lily and cubIn Lily’s den, a sixth icicle formed today. The cubs are cute with their eyes open. Lynn was thinking it was time to pick names, then he learned there’s still a question about the sexes. What we thought was a male and a female might actually be two males. Their faces look so much alike; it is hard to tell them apart—and that seriously complicates the task of sexing them. We need more looks—preferably of both at once to avoid confusion about which one we’re looking at. Den Cam viewers could help us out. With Lily Fan’s eyes looking, too, something might be decided soon. With the warmer weather at hand, the cubs might be more active. The high today was above freezing (37F) and beautiful.
The lastest video of Lily and the cubs is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akLraCkBTUY.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center