Holly - July 5Holly’s first real swim, perhaps in her life, was to play with her buddy Lucky. In the deep end of the pool, Holly likely couldn’t touch bottom like Lucky could. Holly initiated play despite the disadvantage. Lily Fans captured it on video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scKatyrZESc&.
Holly & Lucky in clover - July 5Together, the pair visited the lush clover patch in this year of near record rain in June. The three windows give the bears a look into the offices in the new addition. We expect competition for those offices.
Yesterday, Holly and Lucky together followed along the inside of the enclosure fence as staff checked the fence. Holly has found a friend to the delight of visitors we hear talking about them around town.
Lucky shows Holly how it's done
July 5In Wisconsin, a farmer trampled rows of corn with a machine to reach a bear that needed help. It had a milk can stuck on its head. The farmer had a clever idea to grasp the milk can with the machine. It worked. The bear ran off at top speed. Way to go, farmer! The video is at http://viewpure.com/
The Pileated Woodpeckers fledged sometime between late afternoon yesterday and 9 AM today. The calling the youngsters did so frequently yesterday afternoon might have been part of the fledging process when the parents entice them to fly. We can’t imagine a better opportunity to watch and photograph a pileated woodpecker nest. We look forward to a nice exhibit about this spectacular woodpecker in the new Northwoods Ecology Hall.
Lucky & Holly by white pine July 5With the woodpeckers gone, we wondered about the Hooded Merganser nest. We’d been hesitant to check it unless we saw the mother leave. We figured the eggs must have hatched by now. Yes. Of the 11 eggs, all but one had hatched. We look forward to canoeing the shoreline of Woods Lake, maybe a hundred feet from the nest, to see a mother with 10 little ones.
RC's cubThe Trumpeter Swans have disappeared. We got a call from the landowner who watches over them saying the last time the five cygnets were seen with their parents was Thursday, June 19. The next day a pair of swans, likely the parents, flew over the lake together and haven’t been seen since. Trumpeter Swans were re-introduced to Minnesota back in the 1980’s to resume their rightful place as Minnesota’s largest bird. We’re planning an exhibit about that, too, with mention of Carrol Henderson who led the reintroduction effort.
A new Black Bear Field Course began today. Of the seven participants, one is a returnee. We’re set for new adventures with bears and other nature. We look forward to more fun like we had with the last group. A Lily Fan neighbor sent a picture of one of RC’s cubs that Bear Course participants will likely see at her feeding station in the next couple days.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.