June on alert Fieldwork today was changing the GPS batteries in June’s radio-collar while Bear Course participants watched from a distance. The picture shows June alert to distant sounds, but she still allowed the battery change. As usual, she was miles from any feeding station or residence.
Berries and feeder foodIn Eagles Nest Township, the dozen feeding stations are beginning to see bears—almost all males. The feeding station fare is a small part of their diets according to droppings that are mostly juneberries and pincherries. The radio-collared females are doing what June is doing, foraging deep in the woods on berries and ant pupae that are still abundant.
Zack and Dan work on Lucky's treeThis Bear Course group is great, as usual. They are fun, interested in all wildlife, and have questions. Along the way today, in addition to more bears than any group has seen yet this year, there were eagles, ducks, loons, deer, raccoons (unusual), little redbelly snakes, garter snakes, and many kinds of birds and small mammals.
Zack hangs feederAt the Bear Center, work progressed on Lucky’s tree. The idea is to give Lucky food incentive to scale the tree to the viewing balcony level for visitors to see a bear climb and to get eye-level pictures of Lucky in action. Lucky likes to climb trees, and we want him to do it where visitors can watch him heft his hundreds of pounds quickly up a cedar tree that has the kind of bark bears can easily climb.
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.