As I write this, cubs (probably Jani’s Jaci and Jethro) 
RC and Riverare up the big white pine at the far edge of the yard with lightning two miles (10 second thunder delay) away. Before the darkening sky and heavy rain, good sun allowed an ID picture of 24-year-old RC with her ID blaze that looks like a check mark on the right side of her chest, which is why she is named RC for right check. It was nice to see her with her lone 109-pound male cub named River now (not Rocky). RC, born in 1999, is the oldest descendent of Shadow (born in 1987) that we have in our records. She looked a little squint-eyed in the picture of her sitting full of milk, but her eyes look okay in the close-up of her.
As I was trying to write like I’m supposed to, it was fast action out the window with several sharp-shinned hawks fruitlessly chasing blue jays all day until the storm. Sometimes the hawks came within inches of them, but the amazing maneuverability of the blue jays saved them every time. The nice sun made the blue jays look pretty, even this one caught red-handed stealing bear food. But thanks to the black bear field courses and your donations, we buy enough food to care for all comers.
 Blue jay |
 Sharp-shinned hawk juv. |
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center