CrackleLily Fans have become like family to many. This morning, an outdoor wedding showed that as a couple renewed their vows among Lily Fans. Several talked about Lily Fans feeling like family because of the strong bonds and common feelings that unite them. Several said that Lily Fans have become more like family than their biological families. The wedding cake was topped by bear figurines. The setting for the event bordered a beautiful piece of northwoods forest that stretches nearly 4 miles before it hits a road. The day was beautiful, and it signified the network of Lily Fan friendships.
Snow by black ashBefore the wedding, Lynn checked on the snow pile he has been watching shrink at the edge of a black ash swamp. It’s where the City of Ely dumped snow this past winter in what was one of the coldest and snowiest on record. The pile is now only about 6 inches high and a couple feet in diameter and will likely disappear in the next day or two. Long after other black ash trees in the swamp had leafed out in late May and early June, those whose roots and bases were in the snow piles remained bare. Of 11 trees and saplings Lynn has monitored during the last month, 7 have sprouted leaves—the last one in the last 3 days. The four remaining trees may be dead, but Lynn will continue to monitor them for a few weeks to be sure. As we mentioned before, the late leaf-out of these trees shows it is not day-length or air temperature that prompts leaf-out of black ash trees (Fraxinus nigra), it’s ground/root temperature.
Black ashWe’re wondering if the late ripening of blueberries this summer is another result of the late spring that followed the unusual cold and snow and delayed blossoming. Temperatures were 11.2 degrees F below average for March, 5.3 degrees below average for April, and 1.2 degrees below average for May. Despite the lateness, we see a good berry crop and even some good patches of hazelnuts coming, which could mean the abundance of bears at the community feeding stations could wane as these wild foods rippen.
But for now, we’re enjoying seeing lots of bears in the community and not hearing any problems. They are feeding at the community feeding stations rather than bothering people and doing damage.
VictorAt WRI, half sisters Braveheart (12) and Donna (14) were there to greet Lynn early this morning. Braveheart has long claimed the area as her territory, and Lynn wondered why she wasn’t chasing Donna, who rarely comes there. Both have known Lynn since they were newborn cubs in their natal dens. Lynn put a small pile of nuts in front of Braveheart and offered some to Donna maybe 5 feet away. Braveheart eyed Donna but finished her pile before launching into the pulsing upset sound and lunging past Lynn toward Donna. Without thinking, Lynn tried to stop her. Braveheart stopped but likely not because of Lynn grabbing her with both arms. Lynn felt how ineffective he was against the 300 pounds of power. Braveheart never gave any recognition that Lynn had grabbed her. She kept her focus on Donna as she settled down. She never even glanced at Lynn despite their heads being inches apart. Lynn put another pile of nuts in front of her and another pile where Donna had been. Donna had shied away but then confidently returned for the nuts. Out of nuts, Lynn made sure they both finished at the same time, gathering Donna’s nuts and cramming them gently into her mouth before Braveheart finished. All was calm. For Lynn, the moment revealed a bit about the trust in him that Braveheart had built over her lifetime.
CrackleMales continue to drift in now that mating season is over. Victor made another appearance after being absent a couple weeks, and beautiful brown Crackle showed up for the first time this year last evening. We first saw him in 2004 when he was part of Ginger’s litter of 2 brown males and a black female. Ginger, who was also brown, is not part of Shadow’s clan and never returned to WRI. The fact that Crackle returned is one more indication of cub memories of feeding areas that their mothers show them.
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.