A mod captured this picture of 21-year-old Ted on the last day of 2018, but I wanted to show it even though I’m late with it. 
Ted on 12-31-18The new camera and an alert mod got the best, most detailed picture I’ve seen of Ted’s gray hairs. He reminds me of 31-year-old Shadow, of course. She has 10 more years of gray, but this picture of Shadow just makes one appreciate the clarity of the mod’s picture of Ted.
Shadow 8-19-18
A question: Is this a wolf or a coyote that the trail cam caught a few days ago at the Bear Center? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q32XkkIU44s Is it big enough to be a wolf. Is the muzzle bulky enough? Are the ears far enough apart and rounded enough? People who have seen a lot of both species were debating, which isn’t unusual. Top wolf experts say they have trouble judging photos sometimes. A question someone asked: How much interbreeding is there around here. I haven’t heard of any—not like wolves and coyotes interbreeding to make the Coywolf of New England.
Canid with carcass
Word got around that we have big blocks of suet now that the foxes are not coming around nearly as much. Suet is what brought back this female pileated woodpecker. I hadn’t seen her for a long time. She was nice to give a good pose to see her markings and then tilt her head for a nice look at how her red crest fades into a dark forehead that, along with the black mustache stripe, identifies her as a female.
 Pileated woodpecker |
 Pileated woodpecker |
 Gray jay |
On this 27°F calm day, the two main minks (Clear and Stripe) were out and about for several visits. It was Stripe that surprised me as I drove in this morning. It was poking its nose out between the steps of the front deck. I turned and started to back into my parking spot somewhat toward him or her (thinking male now). He just watched. I stopped to check that it was really Stripe, using binoculars. I finished back and got out and walked around the front of the vehicle. He was still there 20 feet away. Not wanting to seem threatening by going up those steps, I continued on to the steps to the second floor deck. He was still there. Suddenly he went into action and ran up the steps faster than I could grab a camera. I grabbed bologna instead and stepped out. He ran back down and then came up again just as fast, becoming slow and hesitant only for the last three steps. He watched me close before hopping up to each of those steps. I didn’t move, so he came cautiously and then made his quick grab for the bologna. A good way to start a day.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center