Life in the Mountains

It's a bear day.

He came last night and ruined the squirrel proof feeder (obviously not bear proof), the hummingbird feeder and the nyjer seed feeder. He got a tummy full. I guess when he woke up from his early morning feeding he decided to come back around lunch time. I saw him out the kitchen window. He's huge. I didn't know as I watched him head behind the house, into the woods, that he'd been on the front deck only minutes before. I was busy making granola and somehow missed his deck visit. He drank and spilled the water I have out for the birds and went after my other hummingbird feeder, knocking it below. It was salvageable which is good because the hummingbirds are getting super clear about having their food available by flying about 6 inches from my face when it is empty or as in this mornings and lunch case, missing. They are not shy at all and are very good communicators from what I can tell.
The ladies (hummingbirds) will all sit down together and eat, although now a seat or two is missing thanks to the bear. I have seen up to four at a time eating away calmly. The male will eat with no one and when he wants to eat he swoops in and clears the deck of all the females and helps himself.
The fox who was eating shortly before the bear arrived, I should have been suspicious when he left so suddenly after arriving, has been here alot. He's taken 2 eggs from my hand, very gently. I think he is not a good hunter as he is a skinny thing. There are two types of foxes that visit, red and grey. The grey foxes are very cat like and jump up on the rail to finish what the birds, and now bear, does not. The red ones have beautiful black legs and are much leaner and a bit taller. One of the red ones has come nose to nose on either side of the glass door with the cat. So far the cat is the one that jumps up and scares the fox but I'm not sure how long that will last.
I don't have to worry about not taking in the bird feeders for the time being, at least till I buy some more. It is inevitable that I will buy more but I need a few days before I'm ready to invest again. In all the years past I never had to worry about having feeders out during the day. This is the first time the bears are so active and brazen about being on the front deck in broad day light. Even so, I feel deep gratitude that this amazing creature is literally right out my front door. And that I get to interweave my day with these animal friends.

Life in the mountains.  

Mary