Active Morning in Tioga County, PA

I had an interesting morning. It started with an early wake-up at 5 AM because today is Saturday and there was birding to be done at Hills Creek SP.

As I was feeding the cats, I heard a suspicious "thump!" out on the deck. Flicking on the outside lights my thoughts were confirmed. There were two bears out there raiding the feeders. The smaller was about my size (a shade over 200 pounds) while the larger was half again as big. I rapped on the windows and the large bear high-tailed it over the gate and into the woods. The smaller was too busy eating sunflower seeds and even ignored my second attempt to scare it away. It wasn't until I opened the front door and shouted at it that it reluctantly gave up its post and headed off after its partner in crime.

I decided NOT to feed the outdoor cats at that time...just in case.

******
After a brief stop at the McDonald's in Mansfield for a couple of sausage egg McMuffins a cup of coffee, I headed to HCSP to eat breakfast and listen to the birds wake up. I didn't start counting species until 7 AM. (The bird walks start at 8 AM, but by then I had already listed 15 species just around the park headquarters. We were to see/hear all of them during the walk.)

We started our walk shortly after 8 AM with 15 participants, several of whom are expert birders and photographers. We had a young girl with us--with her grandmother, a science teacher from Wellsboro, several members of the Methodist Church of Wellsboro (Rich Hanlon is the pastor there and was a leader of the walk this week), seven were members of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society, and a few other folks dropped by for the birding. Being as such a large group tends to move more slowly, not everyone could stay for the entire hike, but I believe everyone had a good time.

Three of us were keeping the (more or less) official count and, while we didn't quite agree at the end, we were all pretty close to the 48 species I recorded.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Spotted Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

All in all, not a bad day. This may have been the best morning I've had at HCSP in a long time.

PS: The outdoor cats did get fed when I got home at noon. The three of them were present.

I thought it was Sunday! Where's the Sun?

A gray, dreary and down right chilly day with some spritzing of showers off and on. The temps have hovered right around 40 degrees since 6 AM.

I missed them, but Terry had eyes on a bear sow and her three new cubs as they left the yard. They must have been on the deck at one time for the feeders were knocked to the ground. And a pile of sh*t was left in the middle of the lawn. I'll have to start bringing the feeders in at night.

Even though the lighting isn't the greatest for good photos, I did play around with the Nikon P900 a little on the deck and through the window to record some of the daytime visitors.

Purple Finch

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

Black-capped Chickadee

Blue Jay

Chipping Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Tufted Titmouse

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-winged Blackbird

Gray Squirrel

We've also had White-breasted Nuthatches and Dark-eyed Juncos on the deck this morning. Conspicuously absent are the Mourning Doves.

There were several species of birds that I saw or heard in the woods and thickets along the edge of the yard, but even there, things are noticeably quieter than they have been. My guess is they are more interested in staying warm than in wooing.

Back to the Drawing Board

So much for the gate being the answer to the bear incursions on the deck.

Last night I heard some rattling of the gate around 11:30 PM and came down to see if it had held them out. No, all four were on the deck checking out the tray feeder (empty) and the places where the stick feeders hang (empty). I flipped on the deck lights and watched as all four (Mom and her three cubs--very large cubs) went over the gate using the corner post like a pole dancer on Friday night. 

They ARE determined!  After several unsuccessful forays on the deck, you'd think they'd figure out it's NOT a food source any more. But, as Terry told me, it's on their rounds and therefore must be checked.

*sigh*

Another Project Finished (Almost)

I spent the last two days building and installing a cedar gate to the deck. As I've mentioned before, we have bears. And they like sunflower seeds. A lot! It's cute to see them come up on the deck--when they are alone and/or tiny little cubs, but when they are nearly full grown and still hanging together. This year we have a sow and her three cubs returning. Last year the cubs were about as big as Chester our oversized cat. This year they are as big as St. Bernards and growing yet they are still hanging around with Mom as she explores all possible food sources including any birdseed that may still be on my deck. They were here Wednesday night sometime after the rain and left muddy footprints on the deck including a pair that stopped right in front of the sliding door for a bit. Someone was probably scoping out one or more of the cats who were looking outside. That's when I decided to do something I've been thinking about for some time: build a gate.

I went to Lowe's Friday morning and got some 1x4 and 1x2 cedar and spent the day cutting and assembling the gate. Saturday morning I went down and got the hardware to hang and latch the thing. Then I put the thing in place.

The 1x2s are on 4 inch centers leaving just 2-1/2 inches between them. That's enough room for the squirrels but not nearly enough for even the tiniest bear cub. The top is 33-34 inches above the deck floor. Add another 7 or 8 inches for the final step and we're talking about 40 inches from the outside. It's held closed with a very sturdy gate latch and the hinges are quite sturdy, too. Oh, I'm sure a 250+ pound bear putting its shoulder to this can do some damage--IF it wants to. I just hope that the bears are not that desperate for food.

As for the "Almost" in the title of this post, I'll be putting a layer of stain on this as well as the top of the rails when I can be sure the night time temperatures won't be below 40 degrees. (Last night it dropped down to 24.)

******

I had cause to go into the shed this afternoon and discovered that there have been some very busy mice in there. They chewed--and ruined--two plastic gas cans. One was nearly full of non-ethanol gas and the other was a third full of 32:1 mix for one of the chainsaws. I was able to salvage the fuel, but the cans will be going in the trash on clean-up day. They have also completely shredded a cardboard box in the back. I hope they haven't been at the fuel lines for the mower, chipper or weed wacker.

I need to attract some more outdoor cats--the four or five we see from time to time aren't doing their job--or a weasel.

Time Flies!

It's been ten (10) days since I last posted here? Seems like only yesterday! I'm still alive and haven't had to go to the hospital or anything like that, I've just been a bit busy.

******

Terry had a great time out in Portland, OR visiting with Rick, Sandy and, of course little Chelsea Rose who turned one month on the 20th on May.

Chelsea Rose, age 1 month

Every time I see a new picture of her, she seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

******

I made a trip up to the Bolt Hole and was pleased to find it still standing. I hauled a gas lawn mower that once belonged to Terry's Mom up there in case the lawn needed mowing, but I lucked out this time. The grass hadn't really started to grow yet.

I did get a chance to talk to Mark and learned there was a great deal of activity up there last hunting season but that there were still several big bucks and bears hanging around.

I believe I'll have to go back up there this week to do a first cut on the lawn. I'll drag Terry up so she can help decide what can be chucked and what has to be cleaned. We'll probably put the place up for sale soon. I'm just not getting up there enough to justify the payment of taxes and upkeep.

******

Terry and I came to a mutual agreement (as in we were both thinking the same thing at the same time even though we were separated by a few thousand miles) vis-a-vis the Winnebago Access that's been parked in the yard for way too long. We decided to go back to a travel trailer. 

After nearly three years of owning the Access we came to realize it wasn't as flexible as we would have liked. Part of that had to do with the need to tow a second motor vehicle along if we intended to do any sightseeing. So, we drove north and visited Camping World in Bath to see what they had in stock last Friday. And I spent a goodly portion of Saturday and Sunday searching their website and comparing models from Heartland, Coleman, Keystone, Forest River and Crossroads.

There were quite a few to chose from but most had features we didn't want (bunk beds for extra campers) or were lacking in storage space in the galley or living quarters.We winnowed them down and prioritized them. Then we went back today to take another look and ended up closing the deal on a 31-foot long Forest River Vibe Extreme Lite (model 279RBS).

Forest River Vibe Model 279RBS

The kitchen has plenty of counter space, an oven that may actually be able to do a roast and a huge pantry. The bathroom does not require that you grease up before you enter and contains a big wardrobe. There's storage under the dinette area's bench seats (Why some Heartland Prowler models had regular table and chairs I do not know.) and even under the couch. It has an outdoor kitchen area with a sink, fridge and grill. It's also got a 32" flat screen TV and a DVD player. (We may actually be able to operate this one. The one in the Access never got turned on after the second night of trying to figure it out.)

The only thing missing is outside storage for things like hoses and extension cords. That's why I have  a Tundra. Oh, and Terry would have liked the Prowler with its two captains chairs IF they didn't have that silly dining table and four chairs.

We drop off the Winnie Access this week and pick up the Vibe on July 3rd. A brief shake down in a local park to be sure we (meaning "I") know what I'm doing and then we'll be heading west to see that lovely little girl in the photo above.

******

In other news, the bear sow and her three cubs have been back. Several times. She tore one hummingbird feeder off the deck and cracked the plastic so now no one gets anything. I may have to start strapping on my .40 S&W M&P when I go outside. (Or make sure Terry goes out first, eh?)

******

In a reversal of fortune, Terry has been suffering from a degerative disc disease that has been giving her fits--especially in the right arm. The doc says it originates in the neck area where there compressed discs. She's on Naproxen (industrial strength) and it helps...a little.

******

We had an eventful week at the Aerie in the bird department, too. The Indigo Bunting has returned and sings from the top of the poplars with the Red-eyed Vireo. (At least I can see the Bunting!) I had a Scarlet Tanager fly through the yard one day and Terry and I heard a strange "po, po, po" call which made me think immediately of Cuckoo. Sure enough All About Birds confirmed that we were listening to a Black-billed Cuckoo. Then, there were the Bobolinks in the fields down near the post office.

Then, on Saturday, I recorded 39 species at Hills Creek State Park. Nothing particularly new or exciting except for the Black-billed Cuckoo.

******

Well, that's about it for now. Terry's got a couple of appointments on Tuesday then we'll drop the Winnie off Wednesday or Thursday. We've got to get up to the Bolt later in the week so I can cut some crass and maybe pull some weeds while Terry sorts out things in the cabin.

This upcoming Saturday is the last guided bird walk of the season. I'll finish with the list of species I generated on the 23 of May:

Hills Creek SP, Tioga, US-PA
May 23, 2015 7:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Crisp, cool morning with lots of sunshine.
39 species

Canada Goose  X
Wood Duck  X
Mallard  X
Double-crested Cormorant  X
Bald Eagle  X
Spotted Sandpiper  X
Black-billed Cuckoo  X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  X
Hairy Woodpecker  X
Pileated Woodpecker  X
Eastern Phoebe  X
Red-eyed Vireo  X
Blue Jay  X
American Crow  X
Tree Swallow  X
Barn Swallow  X
Black-capped Chickadee  X
Tufted Titmouse  X
Red-breasted Nuthatch  X
White-breasted Nuthatch  X
House Wren  X
Eastern Bluebird  X
American Robin  X
Gray Catbird  X
European Starling  X
Common Yellowthroat  X
Yellow Warbler  X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler  X
Chipping Sparrow  X
Song Sparrow  X
Dark-eyed Junco  X
Northern Cardinal  X
Indigo Bunting  X
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Brown-headed Cowbird  X
Baltimore Oriole  X
Purple Finch  X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23591453

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Life in the Country

The road running past the Aerie got regraded today. They needed to do something about the deep ruts and washboarding the forced a truck into the ditch last week after a light shower turned the clay into one slippery mess. That truck, by the way, sat in the ditch for nearly an hour awaiting the arrival of a tow truck to haul it out.

They first sent the road grader, with it's big front-end claws and belly plow up and down the road to loosen and roughly level the road. That was followed by a tractor towing a rake to make things even more level. Finally a steam roller went up and down, down and up to pack the dirt road into a hard(er) surface.

The final product is a relatively smooth ride but dusty as hell. The showers forecast for tonight might get rid of some of the dust temporarily but, hey! it's a dirt road! The dust will be with us again as soon as it dries and until the snow covers it in...October? November?

******

In other news, removing the bird feeders for a couple of days has seemed to have worked vis-a-vis bear visitors. Haven't seen Momma and her three cubs for several days.

******

The amoxicillin seems to have knocked out the infection that inflamed my throat. Things are back to normal in the swallowing/talking department.

******

It's amazing what a couple of stays in the hospital (back surgery in January, kidney stone in April) and a severe sore throat can do to your weight. I was around 220 in the beginning of the year. Now I'm tipping the scale at around 200. With Terry cooking for Rick and Sandy in Portland, OR, I might even get below that. (I tend to eat less when she's not around. Not healthier, just less. Like two simple meals a day instead of three.)

Bear Family: Part II

Remember that kids song about the cat that kept coming back?

Goes something like "Oh the cat came back the very next day...."

Well...Momma Bear and her three cubs came back today...twice. The first time was around 10 AM. The second time was around 7:30 PM. The first time, she stashed the cubs up the pine tree on the other side of the power line. I tried to make her uncomfortable, but sjhe pretty much ignored me with the knowledge 1) that her babies were safe, 2) she could easily beat me to that tree if I was foolish enough to try anything, and 3) she was about to have some quiet time to herself and a few sunflower seeds as an added bonus.

I made enough of a ruckus that she finally gave up (especially on the quiet time to herself) and went and sat at the base of the pine. I didn't hear her issue any command, but the cubs came scurrying down backwards and they all went off into the woods.

At 7:30 PM I stepped out on the deck to enjoy the cool breeze and heard leaves rustling up the hill behind the house. And here comes Momma with the three in tow. She sat when I yelled and the cubs looked at and climbed a short distance up the big pine in that direction, but their little hearts weren't in it. The son came down and joined Momma. I thought they would then head off into the woods, but this time Momma lead the three out onto the lawn and they all went to investigate the sunflower seed spillage under the deck.

I took advantage of the exposure of the family and snapped the photos below. But I also tried to convince them to get out of here with a few yells and shouts. The cubs took off for the pine on the edge of the powerline to the northwest and Momma followed. But she, at least, returned when I came inside.

It was funny to watch. The cubs would run ahead of Momma about five feet and suddenly stop dead still and look around as if to say, "Ooops!" and then fall in on Momma's heels once again.

Visits from a Bear and Her Cubs

Around 11 AM I went out on the deck to see if I could find the vireo that was singing it's repetitive song in the trees to the northwest. I'm looking and looking when I hear one of the bird feeders behind me go "CLANK." I turn around and there's a black bear calmly sitting there holding the feeder with one paw as it licks the sunflower seeds out.

About 250 pounds of Momma Bear

I go back inside to get the little point-and-shoot camera, come back out and snap a couple of pictures. The bear hasn't moved. I yell at it from the deck and it gives me this, "You talkin' to me?" look as it continues to lick sunflower seed like they were an ice cream cone on a hot day.

I bang a broom against the deck (it's mostly plastic and makes one hell of a racket). The bear ignores me.

I go down the steps toward the bear, pick up a couple of stones and toss them at the bear. The first two miss (from less than 10 yards!) but the third hits the bear in the hind quarter and it makes a leap and then slowly heads up the hill, stops at the base of a fairly large oak tree and sits down.

Three little cubs come clamoring, skittering down the oak and Mom leads them up the hill and out of my sight.

I collect all the bird feeders and bring them indoors.

******

Later, Mom comes back alone having stashed the cubs somewhere and heads for the area where the bird feeders were. I yell, bang the broom and generally make a pest out of myself until she heads around the back of the house where I lose sight of her.

Half hour later I go back onto the deck and she runs out from underneath where she must have been feeding on the seeds the birds had dropped from those feeders. She ambled off into the woods.

Not long after, I'm laying on the couch reading when I hear Chester make a ruckus at the screen door. I look and the bear is on the other side of the door looking confused. It probably smelled the seed and suet I had brought inside. Chester had torn the screen with his claws. He probably wanted to go out and play but was having second thoughts. I slammed the sliding door closed and the bear went down the steps and off into the woods. Again

Then, around 6:30 PM I look out and see her coming back. The three cubs scurry up a big white pine on the other side of the yard and Mom heads for the seeds under the deck again. I look out the basement doors and she's laid out like a big dog just licking up the seeds. I make some noise and bang on the doors and she heads off to the pine. I come upstairs and out on the making more noise and the bear goes off to the pine. I thought she was going to collect her kids and go on her way.

I even got the hose out and watered the lawn shortly after 7 PM with no sign of Mom and her kids.

BUT I WAS WRONG about her moving on. She came back and was enjoying more seeds from the ground at 9:00PM. It sounds like the kids moved to a different tree on the other side of the yard, however. I could hear some rustling of leaves from where I stood on the deck but couldn't catch a glimpse of them. I did all I could to get Mom to leave from my vantage point above her but she wasn't having any of it. She had found an easy source of food and was going to lap up as much as she could. Finally, I had to drop a couple pieces of scrap wood on her head from directly above her and bang on the deck rail to get her to move. Whether that will work or not is anybody's guess. Those cubs are anchor babies if there ever were any such thing. As long as they stay where they are, she'll come back.

I guess I'll not be putting any feeders out for the next few days and my head will be on a swivel every time I step out into the yard.

Just another day in paradise.

The Weekend of the Bear

Again.

Friday evening I chased a large bear out of the yard...twice. I think it wanted to come up on the deck to get some sunflower seeds. Easy pickings for a hungry bruin. I just happened to be on the deck when it came down the hill heading for the staris. I yelled. It stopped...and sat down like a good doggy.

Saturday, while on our bird walk at Hills Creek State Park, we had a 1-1/2 year old run across the road just 15 yards ahead of us. We made some noise and waited for a bit to see if Mom was still following him. She didn't follow so either she wasn't around or she had crossed the road before we turned the corner.

Late this afternoon--around 4:00 o'clock, back at the Aerie, a bear did come up on the deck, emptied the bird feeders and pulled down the hummingbird feeder spilling sugar water on the deck. The sugar water left some nice foot prints on the deck.

Later, around 8 o'clock, a 1-1/2 year old appeared in the yard. I went out to shout at it and heard Mom in the brush down the hill. The youngster was reluctant to leave and eventually ambled off down the hill toward Momma. I brought the bird feeders in so there wouldn't be any attractant on the deck.

So three days and at least four bears. Busy weekend.

******

Terry and I are busy getting the house ready for our Tuesday departure. I did some weeding of the gardens while she did some cleaning up inside. Tomorrow I'll be mowing the lawn (Hopefully the sound of the mower will keep the bears away!) and packing all of Jessica's and Rick's stuff into the Tundra. Our suitcases are packed and it will be a matter of minutes to throw them into the back seat. Terry has a luncheon and I've a couple of errands to be run down in Mansfield and we'll be all set to hit the road west.

A "Quiet" Weekend

We had a quiet weekend here at the Aerie. Until the bears showed up.

I did some birding on Saturday with the Audubon group at Hills Creek State Park. Saw three new (for the year) species and had a good time with friends and acquaintances. The campgrounds were crowded with folks getting a good start to the summer.

Sunday morning Terry and I were going to go to the firehouse for breakfast but discovered they weren't doing it for some reason. As a result, we ended up at Mickey D's. The fire company usually serves breakfast the last Sunday of the month but they must have changed up due to the holiday weekend. Later in the afternoon, I saw and heard an Indigo Bunting in the poplar trees bordering the yard of the Aerie. That's a fourth "new" species for the weekend. Then, as we went to bed with the windows open, we heard the distinct "Who, who, who cooks for you all" of a Barred Owl. I had heard them during the winter, but I never recorded it on eBird so that made a fifth species. I'm still way behind others in the number of species seen this year in Tioga County, PA (number 7 on the top ten birders) but I'm climbing up the list.

Terry and I also spent some time going through boxes of "stuff" to put together the things we are bringing to Rick and Jess when we head west. The amount of stuff--there's a lot of "stuff"--would seem to indicate that we'll have to take the Tundra instead of the the Jeep Compass.

Monday, I cut the grass. Although it's filled with weeds--mostly plantain, dandelions, wild strawberries and hawkweed--it sure looks better when it gets cut. (If I ever used a "weed-and-feed" product, I'd have no "lawn" at all.)

We paused to remember those men and women who gave their all defending our rights and liberties and the rights and liberties of others around the world.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

Lt. Col. John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Expeditionary Force

Although it was just the two of us, we did the traditional barbeque for lunch: hamburgers, potato salad, macaroni salad, corn on the cob followed by some strawberry pie.

A little after 6:30 PM we had company. Two fairly large black bears. One came up on the deck to check the bird feeders which had not yet been taken inside. That bear returned to the lawn when I made some noise and tussled a bit with the other bear. Then they bolted into the woods...briefly. They returned one at a time. One passed in front of the house checking out the spilled bird seed below the deck. The other moved to the rear of the house. The first eventually disappeared over the bank behind the RV. The second circled the house and also went over the bank before heading back into the woods in the direction from which they originally came.

Black Bear One

Black Bear Two

Black bear breeding season starts about now. I didn't pry into the sexes of the two bears, but Bear Two was slightly larger than the Bear One and was constantly sniffing the air. And had a funny, goofy look on it's face. Just saying.

Thansgiving Visitors

The 2013 Pennsylvania bear season ended yesterday at sundown. I didn't go out although I had been asked by Don if I wanted to. There were a couple of considerations in my decision not to participate. Two of them are called "knees."

In PA you can not bait nor use dogs to chase bears as you can in other states. It's a rough hunt with groups of hunters--often 20 or so--doing drives to rouse the bears. Half the hunters take up posts along one straight line while the other half goes a mile or so further down the road and enters the woods to push any bear to the standing hunters. When the two groups meet they either celebrate a bear kill or find a new place to repeat the process with the teams (standers and drivers) changing sides. It's very imprecise and very rugged. Especially rugged in the hilly country of the Northern Tier.

With the knees just 18 weeks old and my footing on rough terrain still a work in progress, I figured I'd play it safe and leave the game to others. And there were plenty of others in the woods. Monday, when Terry and I were going to the dump via Mountain Ridge and Fallbrook Roads which cut through parts of Tioga State Forest we came across two groups of hunters clad in solid orange. (You want to be as visible as possible to 1) scare the bear and 2) alert the other hunters that you are NOT a bear as you crash through the brush.)

Still we heard very few shots during the four day hunt. The exception was one cluster of shots from one to two miles to the west on Tuesday evening. Two quick shots were followed by five very well spaced shots. I assume the first wounded the bear and the latter finished him off. At least I hope that's what happened.

So, as I said, the season ended yesterday at sundown.

Brian safely navigated from New Jersey to the Aerie and arrived around 4 PM. We had a nice venison roast for dinner and enjoyed a drink or two pre and post meal. Then we sat and talked for a bit.

At approximately 8 PM there was a sound on the deck and the cats ears went up. A second noise sent them running to the windows and we followed.

 Mama Bear

 with baby Cinnamon

and Blackie.

These three hadn't been seen since early summer/late spring when I stopped putting the bird feeders out. I've seen scat on the logging trail but actual sighting of any bear hasn't happened. To the point where I got careless/lazy and left the bird feeders out over night. Still, they've been out there for two weeks and this is the first time they've been robbed by anything other than a squirrel.

I was very pleased to see that Mom had succeeded in making it through the season with out getting separated from her cubs and possibly shot (sow bears with cubs are protected). Seeing how big the two cubs had grown...well, that was a shock! When we first saw them they weren't much bigger than Chester, our 22 pound cat. Now they look to tip the scales at 70-80 pounds! That's a lot of berries, grass and grubs. Not to mention Mother's milk. Both cubs looked healthy as could be.

They came up on the deck not five minutes after I had come in from being out there and stayed on the deck for the better part of half an hour. We banged on the window ans they left...for two minutes before returning to slurp up black oil sunflower seeds. The Cinnamon followed the lead of Mom but Blackie was a little more reticent. The Cinnamon also seemed to dominate Blackie in chasing it away from the stairs and into the woods briefly.

After their second round on the deck, I banged on the glass really hard and Mom took the hint (she had also finished all the sunflower seeds) and led the cubs off the deck and out on to the lawn. I took the opportunity to step out onto the deck clap my hands a few times to spook them and they dashed off into the woods while I retrieved the undamaged but now empty bird feeders.

So. Who  are you having over for Thanksgiving?

Aerie Visitors

We had some visitors at the Aerie this afternoon. I had just finished watering the garden at 4:30 PM when I heard a crashing and grunting in the trees less than 40 yards up the slope and saw a black bear. It stayed put as I collected all the bird feeders and brought them inside. The bear stayed put and even laid down in the powerline right of way. I thought something might be up and wondered if it might be a sow with a cub.

Turns out I was right. about 15 minutes later, the sow and her TWO cubs came down the hill and into the yard. One of the little ones was a very pale cinnamon cub. Not an albino--I don't think--but a very, very blonde bear.

As you can see, they didn't stay in the yard long. Moma heard the dishwasher going through its cycle and, I assume, the chugging sounds made her shy away from any lengthy investigation. They wandered off back up the hill and disappeared--for the time being.