The big surprise yesterday was suddenly seeing the familiar face of Clear the Mink looking in the window after months of absence.
Clear the mink What a joy! It was as if he had never left. I wanted to open the window for him to jump in onto my desk and re-familiarize himself with the pencil holders, telephone, and computer monitor, but it was easier this time to go to the door. He circled back and forth wondering why it took so long to get a bologna package open, then he came and stood up to take a slice and go off to eat or stash it. In subsequent visits, he eagerly took 2 mice. If he can make it through the trapping season, it will be a good winter. We will do our best to have him do the same as last fall.
A male hairy woodpecker stopped by to eat bear leftovers (sunflower seed hearts).
I got a report of a possible bear den and checked it out—a freshly dug fox den, but being near Jewel’s den of 2013, I stopped by but no sign of work. I snapped a picture of her old inner sanctum that she shared with yearlings Fern and Herbie that winter.
On this sunny day (yesterday, October 25), I had to see the view from the overlook that is 1.2 miles from here. The leaves are nearly all down, including the spectacular leaves that on October 20 were still yellow-gold on the now-bare aspens in the foreground.
 Hairy woodpecker female |
 Jewel's den |
 Overlook bare |
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center