Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
The salmon run congregates bears closer together and in higher numbers than they would otherwise tolerate. Like Big Brother on television, this creates drama. Family Drama When a sow with cubs begins fishing, the hungry cubs watch with rapt attention. Once she catches a salmon … Continue readingBrown Bear Stories (Part One)
“Go to Theodore Roosevelt for the wild horses. Sure, there are bison, elk, mule deer, coyotes, burrowing owls, black-footed ferrets, badgers galore, prairie dogs, and a unique sub-species of turkey that you will likely photograph while there, but the wild horses are the real draw … Continue readingWild Horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Communication This bear argument is loud, powerful, and impassioned, yet fairly benign. All social species require a way to resolve conflict without risking their lives or their relationships. Just because you have power does not mean you need to use it. Nature has so much … Continue readingBears: A Heated Discussion
The car ahead of me is braking. A deer? No, a coyote. No, it’s a wolf!! A timber wolf is trotting across the highway! If that’s not a good omen, I don’t know what is! It was the long legs that made me think deer, … Continue readingVince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary
Should I run up this tree? Black bears seek refuge in trees from a young age. Their mothers will send them up trees for safekeeping while she forages. They learn that it’s a safe place to rest and an excellent place to avoid other bears … Continue readingA Day in the Life of Black Bears
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is not what you’d think. Alligators are rare and black bears are common. The biggest black bears in the world, in fact. It’s on an old military bombing range, parts of which are still closed to the public formed to … Continue readingAlligator River National Wildlife Refuge
The Trail I’m moving purposefully up the half-mile trail from the parking lot in Point Reyes National Seashore. If I’m going to see the river otters and still find a bobcat, this detour can’t take too long. Along my way, there are birds all about … Continue readingRiver Otters
Fred and Ethel* are back for their twelfth season. They are a pair of Canada geese who have been raising their families on my pond year after year. In the spring, when the flocks of geese begin to stopover on their trip north, Fred and … Continue readingBackyard Geese