Bears are coming. I’m not sure who this bear is, but I liked how he was sitting human-like on a log with his back comfortably against a convenient red maple.
Maybe it was the many bears that stimulated their minds, but the people in the bear course that just ended had thoughtful questions right up to saying goodbye. The bears were good as always, giving everyone a good feeling that was especially nice to see with the two participants who were here to get over their fear of bears. Once again, it was amazing and heart-warming to see how quickly life-changing contact changed their hearts and minds.
Red Squirrel
This year, a red squirrel was like none I’ve ever seen. He showed no fear of people, running up and down, across shoulders, and finally sitting on a shoulder or hand to try one hazelnut after another and eventually choose the one he wanted to run off and cache and hurry back for another. The squirrel was also amazing in his confidence with bears. When he jumped on the back of a bear like he would jump up on a human, the bear whirled in terror until he saw what it was. The most surprising was when a bear suddenly took the squirrel in his mouth, the bear did no more than hold it a few seconds, let it go, and the squirrel did no more than calmly resume searching for hazelnuts to cache. Also of interest, this squirrel who is so calm and gentle with people vigorously chases away two squirrels that are beginning to copy him. A nice thing about the fearless squirrel is that he never bites, not even lightly.
Loon Family
The pontoon boat ride with the course participants was good, as usual. A favorite sighting was a nearby mother loon with the first chick I’ve seen this year that were paying attention to each other and pretty much ignoring us. Then, a loon that had been far away popped up beside them and made it a complete family. In the picture, the mother is closest to the chick, and the one I think is the father is just to the left.
Bald Eagle
 Ruby-throated hummingbird |
 Red-winged blackbird |
The bald eagle is still visiting. The other day, I put out good beef fat and drumsticks about 10 feet from my desk window and within a half hour the eagle was sitting and looking from the red pine across the yard. He didn’t swoop by, though, so herring gulls enjoyed the feast. Gulls and ruby-throated hummingbirds are little deterred by the bears.
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center