As I sit writing at my desk by the window, distractions and excitement are the company of birds and mammals—like this thoughtful-looking raven which is fitting for a member of the Corvidae family that many consider the most intelligent family of birds in the world.
 Blue jay |
 Red fox chewing |
 Hairy woodpecker |
 Evening grosbeak |
 Red squirrel |
To start the day, pre-dawn visitors are often hairy woodpeckers and red squirrels. A surprise today was this new mink who looked up but didn’t run. Might he become a regular? The white-breasted nuthatch looked too cute to pass up. The blue jay gave me a casual look over its shoulder without so much as a pause in filling its throat with sunflower seed hearts. The red fox chewed away on his piece of pork, and I didn’t know what to make of the evening grosbeak’s bulging eyes.
 White-breasted nuthatch male |
 Mink |
Distractions like this let me relax and feel thankful for what you did during GiveMN and let me look forward to the bear field courses that are always a treat.
I hope you all have a happy thanksgiving.
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center