Bears include Lily who put in another appearance on camera at the prospective den five days ago—maybe just to tease us, though, because she hasn’t been seen on camera there since. But maybe there is hope. Her hour-long visit there looked comfortable and fun with her cubs climbing trees and looking in the den as shown in this 30-second clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfvHZt1FEvc
Bear sightings are dwindling in the community here, although one place still had 6 today (an unknown mother with three cubs, plus two separate juveniles).
The last visit here was two days ago when a juvenile made a quick trip through on camera and kept going.
Red squirrel with grape
With no bears here to eat grapes I put some out for whoever wanted them. The first taker was a red-bellied woodpecker (top photo) who kept coming back and back, making me wonder ‘how many grapes would a woodpecker grab if a woodpecker would grab grapes.’ Then a happy-looking red squirrel liked them, too, teaching me that both red-bellied woodpeckers and red squirrels will eat them, which I didn’t know.
Blue jay with red squirrel
With no bears around, I put out sunflower seed hearts for anyone who is hungry. Blue jays said, “I’ll take some!” and then a red squirrel said “I’ll take some, too.” The squirrel seemed fine with the blue jay visits just inches away from him. But the blue jays were skittish, landing and frantically taking a couple pecks and leaping away with their tails spread in anxiety as they do in such situations. One blue jay was brave enough to sit there eating with its tail feathers moderately wide with anxiety but then wider when it tensed up and leaped into flight like the others had done. This one, though, was quickly back for more. I’m wondering if they spread their tails in such situations because if the seeming threat would try to grab them as they turned and flew it would then get mainly tail feathers and the bird would escape. Always wondering the why’s but never knowing for sure because there can be so many possible explanations in wild situations.
Deer enjoy vegetation
In the absence of bears, deer are even more common in the yard now as we edge toward winter. A nice example was this mother with her two growing buck fawns. The deer tend to eat grass, clover, and other growing vegetation while most other critters look through the vegetation for bits of nuts and seeds left over from the bears and others. Bears also eat some of the vegetation, too.
Beaver cruises along
Today was beaver day as a pair added more woody vegetation to the underwater food cache by the lodge across the lake nearly 600 feet away on the other side of the lake. Then one of them worked towing away branches obtained only a little over 200 feet from the cabin giving me closer pictures. Finally, one cruised along the near shore out my window. I grabbed the camera and snuck close to where I could see a small wisp of willow waving around as the beaver was biting at its base. Still out of sight, I accidentally snapped a twig. The beaver slapped its tail and dove. Not knowing what the snap was, the beaver cruised by. I stood still clicking a picture as it passed. It cruised back and forth a couple more times, and I took an opportunity to slip quietly away. I’ll see later if the little willow is gone and is likely part of the food cache.
A treat a couple days ago was a nice story about the North American Bear Center written by Karen Tolkinnen in Minnesota’s biggest newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She was at the Bear Center with her family, got talking with Spencer Peter, and the story linked here was great. Thank you Karen.
https://www.startribune.com/tolkkinen-why-i-lost-my-fear-of-black-bears/601166650
On a side note, Sharon Herrell, Sr. Bear Keeper at the North American Bear Center wanted to extend a big thank you for all who donated from the Amazon Wish List, from her, the entire staff and the ambassador bears:
"Thank-you, we appreciate every bag of
dried fruit and nuts that are sent."
And thank you all for what you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center