YearlingToday, Holly ventured within a few feet of Ted, who calmly continued eating and paying little attention to Holly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaK7mYCPeKM&feature=youtu.be). Later, the sight of Ted prompted Holly to climb the cedar again. Progress all around.
Holly, Heidi and TedOut in the woods, Jewel and her cubs spent some time in or around the den where Jewel gave birth to Fern and Herbie 2 years ago (January 2012). Juliet and her cubs crossed a river the easy way—on a little wooden bridge someone built deep in the woods. Lily and Aster were temporarily off the map until we renewed the contracts on their GPS units to transmit to our computers.
Yearllings at feederAt the WRI Cabin at 6:25 AM, 3 yearlings and a 2-3-year-old were at the feeders. One of the yearlings, a male, was smaller than the other 2. The two seemed to know him, and he joined them briefly at a feeder. The little yearling seemed to be accepted okay, but he soon moved on. We wondered if the two remaining yearlings knew us. Lynn stepped out and both ran.
Snapping Turtle - June New bears unknown to us are in the study area now that hunters have killed some of the territorial bears we knew. A mother and 2 cubs with no ties to us or to Shadow’s Clan, as far as we know, were at dumpsters in Bear Head Lake State Park. It’s interesting that this unknown bear family would go where our radio-collared bears have not. June’s territory surrounded Bear Head Lake State Park campground, but she strictly avoided the campground. We can’t explain it. It’s just a fact. With June gone, her daughter Aster seems to be taking over the portion of June’s territory that includes the campground. Hopefully Aster will continue June’s precedent and avoid the campground.
Red Squirrel - June 17Nature Notes: Dawn: no wind, 55F. Sounds: Gray Tree Frogs, Green Frogs (sound like banjoes), Mink Frogs (sound like horses’ hooves on cobblestone). No longer heard: Spring Peepers, Chorus Frogs, Wood Frogs, and American Toads. Haven’t heard a Leopard Frog yet. They used to be common here.
Other Pictures:
American Crow - June 17Snapping turtle. Female turtles, both snapping and painted, continue to leave the water to look for sand or gravel areas where they can dig nests with their back legs and lay their eggs.
Cedar Waxwing on Black Ash
June 17A red squirrel talking to a competitor. We don’t know if chattering includes swear words.
The face of the only crow that will let Lynn look at it without it flying away.
A cedar waxwing on a branch of a black ash tree whose base is still encased in 5-6 feet of snow. The photo shows the still unopened leaf buds.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.