Smokey and the Three Bears

I think Smokey the Cat is beginning to realize what Shadow already knows … the bears in the neighborhood are not a threat.  Smokey has always been my ‘bear alert’ ~ running inside at the first whiff or sight of a bear.  So imagine my surprise, to see him on guard in the garden early this morning, as Buddy lumbered down the driveway on his way to check for victuals at the Hard Rock Diner! Now, he wasn’t perched atop the fence rail  like Shadow, but he didn’t come running inside either.  Finding it too early for the diner to be open, Buddy went on his merry-beary way before the cameras (or my semi-asleep self) were functional.

I don’t know what it is about hazelnuts, but it seems they are a favorite of bears from Minnesota to Pennsylvania!  Dr. Lynn Rogers and his associate Sue Mansfield www.bearstudy.org often use hazelnuts as treats with their research bears ~ the nuts keep the bears happily occupied as the researchers change batteries and radio collars and take heart rates, all without any tranquilization.  Now, I am no researcher and I have no intention of getting close enough to these wild animals to actually touch them.  Still, when I happened to see that shock of jet black against the green grass along the driveway and recognized Buddy, I grabbed the cameras and a handful of hazelnuts and headed outside.

For over 40 years, Doc has been using the phrase, “It’s me bear”, when approaching the bears he studies … so much so that it will probably be the title of his book currently in the process of being written.  I think it’s the tone and cadence of his voice rather than the words, but I can’t resist… “It’s me Buddy, It’s me bear”, I chant as I set up the little video camera on a tripod, and then head towards the rock.  Buddy watches me with no visible care or concern, and I toss a few hazelnuts in the direction of the HRD.  “Want a treat, Buddy?” Without hesitation, he starts ambling towards me.  Finding the hazelnuts I’d tossed, I hear the crunch as he cracks the nut and removes the meat, leaving the hard shell behind.  I toss the few remaining nuts in his direction, and turn my own attention to the camera hanging around my neck. Through the lens, I see ….. Buddy, heading right towards me!  I hold up my empty hands as Buddy locates another nut in the grass and looks at me, hoping for another toss or two.  “That’s all I have, bear”.  I am not afraid, and it seems, neither as he.  He takes a step closer, and I know I must maintain that boundary between us, so I step backwards, causing him to flinch and retreat a bit as well.  Respectful distance.

Leaving Buddy to his treats, I returned to the comfort of the air conditioned house to see what I was able to capture on video.  A few minutes later, I glanced out the window to see if Buddy was still there and, low and behold, now Spooky and her cub are at the rock.  Whoa, back out the door with the video camera … this bear is much larger that Buddy and does not have the same personality.  It’s a still day, no wind to give me away, and I moved quietly down the steps to the lower deck to set up the camera.  Spooky heard me and ran off into the thicket, but the cub stayed put.

Food and fear … the two governing instincts of a bears’ life.  Spooky’s fear won out, but her cubs desire for food was stronger than Mama’s concern.  A  minute or two later, I can see Spooky in the shadows at the woods’ edge; she cautiously moves out towards her cub and the feeding rock.  Camera capturing the moment, I see her looking directly at me (I'm up there on the deck, area circled) and I say,”Hi Spooky Mama, I see you”.  Hummmpft….. There she goes running off, cub in tow.  Well, at least they’re still together ~ no family break up yet.  I can’t help but hope Spooky stays in the neighborhood, maybe she’ll even mate with my dear little Buddy and bring some cubbies around next year. For now, though, I’ll reserve the hazelnuts for Buddy. He is one extraordinary bear, and I know it.

"Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations". Luther Standing Bear Oglala Sioux 1868-1937

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The Best Present, EVER!!

My Mother tells me that I take after my Dad, and his Mother ~ all camera fanatics.  I don’t know if it’s the CAMERA to which we’re fanatically attached, or just what memory it allows us to savor long after the initial moment has passed.  Grandma had her Brownie with her at all times, so I've heard.  I wish I had some of her pictures, to see what she thought “worthy”.  Until recently of course, film had to be developed to show those captured images; I have thousands of pictures in dozens of albums and many still stuck in the processor’s envelopes.  The advent of digital photography has saved me a ton of money … of course, now I have thousands of images on 3 ½” floppies from my Mavica with no way to see them!

This past year, I have been blessed to upgrade my digital camera equipment.  Yesterday alone, I took over 200 photos, but whittled that number down to two dozen worth saving.  But of all my gifts and purchases, I think the trail cam Hubby bought me for my 60th birthday, was the best present ever.  There would be no other way to see what I have enjoyed observing through that camera’s lens… like this march of the turkeys…

oops, sorry Hubby♥

Or this image of the spooky Mama Bear who came for supper last night around 8PM, with her yearling.

Mama was uber-vigilant;  I first saw her as I was standing at the living room window, which I opened to take a few (right) pictures.  She heard the click of the camera, and ran off into the thickets, while cubby took to a tree. Cubby could not resist the lure of the corn at the HRD; Mama was far more cautious. She emerged from behind the tree housing the trail cam, and watched for a bit before returning to the rock for a snack.

Considering how much our presence concerned her, I took my pictures from a safe distance and then removed myself from her view so she and Cubby could enjoy their munchies peacefully.  Once again, I am amazed to see the different personalities of the different bears ~ obviously this Mama is not one which I could ever photograph close-up.

So, here it is, Memorial Day Monday.  The bird feeders are hung, the corn and sunflower is on the serving rock, and a special treat of watermelon is waiting for Buddy.  The blue jays and red-wing blackbirds are already into the seeds, the hairy woodpecker is at the suet cake and the hummingbirds are flitting around like the Blue Angels at the air show.  Red, white and blue feathers in a sea of green leaves.  Life is good.

Happy Memorial Day, and thank you to all of the Veterans.

All Gave Some, Some Gave All...

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 "When it comes time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home." Chief Aupumut, Mohican. 1725

It's a boy!!

I can't say that I've ever been "afraid" of black bears, and whatever 'fear' I had diminished more with every 'research update' I read on www.bearstudy.org.  I first photographed a bear in a huge tree on the banks of the Delaware River, in 1989.  Using my Pentax K-1000 35mm SLR (film) camera was a lot different than todays' digital photography; I was proud of the photograph I snapped and still have it hanging in my home.  A few years later, 3 black bears were walking in the woods behind our home and I  managed to get a picture of them too, with that same Pentax camera. I'd had occasion to see bears from time to time over the years, but last years appearance of Bud, and later another cub I presumed to be a sister whom we dubbed "Weiser", has provided me with photo opportunities I could only imagine prior to the advent of digital photography. Diligence paid off, when Buddy obliged me with a particular stance, allowing me to see his "tassle", thus confirming his sex.

My husband thought I was crazy, when I suggested that there were two cubs visiting the Hard Rock Diner last summer.  He could not believe that I  noticed any difference in the mannerisms of the bear(s), suggesting that all bears behaved alike.  Of course, I know that bears are as different as humans. As a matter of fact, bears have a lot of commonalities WITH humans, beginning with the vocalizations of cubs. Close your eyes and listen to the cries, and you would swear you were hearing a newborn human child.  But I digress, back to the two cubs ... and the husband who thought I'd lost my ever-loving mind.  He had to eat his words when both bears showed up at the same time!  

Based upon the size of its head and neck, I think the second bear, "Weiser" is a female.  She has never obliged me however, with a confirming pose.  Identifying her was easier than Buddy, however, because of what I dubbed a "beauty  mark" on the bottom of her right eye.  Thank goodness for binoculars, and telephoto lenses...  

I haven't seen Weiser this year, at least not that I know of.  Buddy on the other hand, is exhibiting all the behaviors I've learned to be typical of bears at this time of year. He has begun scent marking his territory, rubbing his back up against the tree that seems to be his favorite spot near the feeding rock.  I think he's on the prowl for a female, he should be at the age when first mating might occur. When he's not eating, or scratching ... he's playing, usually with a stick.  Seems like every bear I've observed loves to play with sticks!! "Didja get that picture, lady? Can I  get on with being a bear now, please??"

 

If you talk to the animals they will talk with you

and you will know each other.  If you do not talk to them

you will not know them, and what you do not know

you will fear.  What one fears one destroys.

Chief Dan George

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Hide & Seek

It's Saturday, and I'm a bit slow to get my day under way.  It was so nice last night, Shadow and Smokey decided to stay outside and play so they had me up late waiting for them. Geepers, I thought staying up late, waiting for the kids to come home on a Friday night ended many years ago.  But the fur-kids have different ideas.

This morning, Buddy arrived prior to "opening" the Hard Rock Diner, but I would not have known it were it not for the best birthday gift I'd ever gotten, my Bushnell Trail Cam.  I took my stroll and left the offering of corn and seed, and changed the SD card in the camera.  Buddy was there less than an hour before me...


There are hummingbird feeders all around my house, a suet cake hanging on the deck and a squirrel proof (not bear proof!!) seed feeder hanging out from the deck post.  We take the seed and suet in every night.  A few days ago, Buddy dropped by and must have smelled the fresh suet cake I'd just put out.  With nothing on the feeding rock, he decided to investigate a bit closer to the house.   

A friend told me, my brain registered 'bear' more quickly than hers, since I see them so frequently.  The first time I saw one, I thought, "man that's a big dog".  But my friend is right, after all the 'sightings' I've had the pleasure of experiencing, I immediately know when I see that glimpse of jet-black fur.  Not to mention that Smokey is like bear-radar. Not the inquisitive, spunky creature like Shadow, Smokey the Cat immediately comes inside if he senses a bear presence, and I know the look he gives. That signals me to grab a camera and run!  And so I did, as Buddy sauntered towards the front stairs, and the suet feeder...  what a glorious way to start my day, 
seeing this guy.  Camera in hand, I walked out to the head of the stairs, and shoo'd him off, but not before I snapped what goes down as one of my all time favorite poses of him.  And yes, I swear he does pose for me.  Anyway, even though the feeders were filled and hanging on the porch and there was nothing at the HRD this morning at a little past 10AM, Buddy did not venture towards the house. He has been told what was too close, and it seems he understands; the garden and decks are off limits.  There is natural food in abundance in our woods, so we are just a stop on his routine journey in search of nutrition.  Very early in the year {during what Dr Rogers (www.bearstudy.org) calls 'walking hibernation'} and at the end of the season before denning, the bears may push the boundaries a bit as their need for food and its scarcity play into their behavior. 

Meantime, Smokey is snoozing in the sunshine atop the ottoman, while Shadow is snuggled into my down comforter.  Wanna bet they sleep away most of the day, and go out for another late evening of fun and frolic?  Ah... to live the life of a pampered rescue kitty!  I used to think, like the joke I've read: 
In my next life I want to be a bear.  If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that. Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.  I could deal with that, too.  If you're a bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs.  I could definitely deal with that.  If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.  I could deal with that.  If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat. He KNOWS not to get between you and the food. Yup..... Gonna be a bear.   

Of course, having observed the live den cam of Lily the Black Bear the past two winters, I now know that most of the information in the joke, as with what we have been told for eons, is false.   Click this link to see a video of Lily giving birth to her cub Faith in January 2011.   

http://www.youtube.com/user/bearstudy#p/u/120/AuH5ADPwx3Q

and go to www.bear.org to find archived videos of den days from 2010, and 2011.  After watching a few, I suspect you'll agree, the life of a black bear is not at all what we thought it to be!!  Maybe I would like to be a cat?

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."    

Crowfoot,  Blackfoot warrior and orator

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Catz 'n' Bears.

Good Morning Friends!!! There is so much interest in the on-going saga of the wildlife with which I co-exist here in Northeast Pennsylvania, that I've decided to create a blog just for that purpose. I am so blessed to live in an area replete with creatures large and small including black bear, deer, turkey, fox, opossum, raccoon,  amphibians, reptiles and a myriad of birds ranging from ruby-throated hummingbirds, to the majestic bald eagle.

I also have two domestic cats, Smokey & Shadow,
(<--------- Shadow, near Buddy's favorite tree stump)  who are permitted to be "in and out". Their interactions with the local wildlife are usually a source of entertainment for me, and them!!  Some of their escapades end with a less-than-desirable outcome ~ like when they catch a bird without my knowledge ~ but that's also part of the circle of (wild) life. Shadow is the more adventurous of the two, following me into the woods on my hikes, and hiding in the heirloom rose thickets, ready to defend his turf.  He is rather fearless ... and an amazing mouser.  Unfortunately, he often brings his rodent capture into the house through the 'pet door' - dead or alive.  I can handle dead better... He has also brought me live snakes, frogs and birds!  I'm waiting for the day he leads one of his forest friends through the pet door to share his home♥

Having spent over a year learning about the black bear   www.bearstudy.org   imagine my surprise when a crying yearling parked himself in a large pine on my property last spring, following family break up.  Since that time "Buddy" has been a frequent visitor.  After installing a trail cam, I see that he is not the only black bear who visits, either!  Our bird feeders are brought in each night so as not to encourage bad behavior by the bears, but we also have a large feeding rock where we throw corn and birdseed on a daily basis which is available to any of the forest critters who venture by.  We've dubbed the location, the "Hard Rock Diner".

With this maiden blog, I introduce you to Buddy and Shadow.  In the coming days and weeks, other critters will stop by to visit you; I hope you enjoy the antics and adventures of My Wild Life, as I enjoy living it!

July 1, 2010:  I believe Shadow knew about Buddy's existence here prior to me.  Have you heard that black bears are aggressive, and will eat your cats?? MYTH!!!  I honestly believe Shadow 'plays' with Buddy! Just as do I, however, Shadow respects the fact that the bears are indeed WILD (and lots bigger than him!!).  In this video clip, Buddy does exactly what bears do that is often mistaken as an aggressive move.... he bluff charges and stomps at Shadow who backs off ...but not too far, LOL!! (please excuse the background noises!)

Now, nearly a year later, Shadow hides in the rose thicket left of the rock, waiting for Buddy (or an unsuspecting rodent) to drop by...

Buddy was a scrawny cub when I first saw him, who is maturing into a beautiful young male.  Yes, I know he's a male.. I saw his "tassle" in one of my photos last year to confirm my suspicions.  I have a nice Victory garden in my fenced back yard, and it would have been prime pickings for a hungry young black bear whose mother had just sent him packing. Buddy quickly learned it to be off-limits; diversionary feeding at the HRD reinforces his boundaries.  We also live in an area chock full of summer sleep-away camps and their respective dumpsters - a sure target for local bears and one where they often get into trouble because of the children, liability issues, and over-abundance of accessible garbage not adequately bear-proofed.  So I believe my diversionary feeding encourages the bears to stay away from the camps but rather hang out here on the hill where their natural food sources exist (not to mention the snack table they find at the rock).

This is Buddy, taken May 6, 2011.  He's a beautiful, well mannered bear who has never come into my garden since the first attempt almost a year ago.  I wish I could say as much for the deer!  Buddy often stops by just to relax ~ I'm sure he knows he is safe and welcome here.  After all, I am the intruder; his family owned this land long before my name appeared in any tax roles.  And in my mind, they still do, I am just the caretaker.  As man continues to encroach into the territory of the bear, it is incumbent upon us humans to understand who truly belongs here, and behave accordingly.

When we show our respect for other living things, 

they respond with respect for us.

~ Arapaho Proverb

Buddy, relaxing on his favorite tree stump, which we affectionately call his "prayer stump" ------------>

Black bear family break up is imminent if not already happening.  I wonder if any other yearlings will stop by this year??  The trail cam has already captured images of a mother and yearling so I am hopeful. The opportunity to observe these magnificent creatures, in their natural habitat, is a genuine gift.  I hope you agree, as I begin the journey to share that gift with you♥

Behold, my brothers, the spring has come; the earth has received the embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love! Every seed has awakened and so has all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbours, even our animal neighbours, 
the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land. 

Tatanka Yotanka (Sitting Bull), Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux


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