Chickadee in handTwo flashbacks are to June 5, 2007, when June and her cubs Lily, Cal, and Bud were foraging along a fallen aspen log.
In the first video clip (1 minute, 22 seconds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXfjahD3kk, June checked out a juneberry (Amelanchier sp.) bush loaded with berries, saw they were all green, and moved on. The cubs then spent more time on it. When Cal reached out too far, he fell on the bush, taking it down with him. His siblings took notice, but June walked by without concern.
In the next video (41 seconds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnOPorA_GWI, Cal has climbed back up and has sniffed out a patch of ant pupae, tears the bark loose, and licks them up, pausing as Bud squeezes by. Lily then tears by followed by June who is too big to go around Cal and urges him to move on, which he does. June sniffs the spot where Cal had been licking but finding nothing left she moves on. When she tried to go around Cal farther down the log, June stepped out onto a rotten branch which broke. June fell but none of the cubs seem to notice. June quickly popped up and sniffed the break. This was all in just a 2-minute part of their day some 7 years ago.
Today, we believe Lily is sleeping safely in a den. Her last location was noted a week after bear hunting effort had all but ceased with the opening of grouse season, so we believe she is safe. We’re looking forward to seeing her with a new set of cubs in the spring.
Lynn and GabrielleFun came in several forms. Last night, the family and I went to a Pat Surface concert and little Gabrielle (3) and Heinrik (5) were mesmerized. When Gabrielle started moving her head with the music, she was the center of attention until she noticed people looking at her and stopped. Pat spoke in appreciation for the bear research and people clapped. We heard great music and saw old friends, including Mayor Ross Peterson and his wife who have been so staunchly and publicly supportive of the research through the DNR travails. He told us how the DNR Commissioner treated him recently as a result.
Fun continued today with the family at the Bear Center, watching a new bear documentary in the theater.
Later at the WRI, Jim Stroner discovered that the friendly winter flock of chickadees is back. Sue moved more of her computer equipment to her Bear Center office to be even more efficient cataloguing the videos and making the video clips like we have in the update tonight.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.