Good morning everyone on this beautiful spring Monday! The coffee is ready, help yourself, relax and enjoy the birds for a while. There are a lot of birds here this morning once again. While I was out feeding the birds this morning I could hear the loons calling to each other, that is such a nice wilderness sound. I love the calls of the loons and they are such a beautiful bird too, even though just black and white, yet their patterns are bold. And if you can see them up close they have bright red eyes. They are really amazing water loving birds. A true wilderness bird. More juncos have come back now, likely they are the young from last year that come back later than the adults.

Watching them yesterday, and trying to count them, I estimated there were at least 300. I have never seen so many. That means they survived the winter very well and there will be a lot of breeding birds to fill the forests this summer. Most of them spread out north of us but a some remain here as well. I only spotted 8 fox sparrows yesterday, there used to be between 20 and 30 of them, so they have begun their northward journey now. I’m still surprised that no other sparrows have arrived in the last couple of days, this is so late for them. Bert was back yesterday evening. I had just been out feeding the gulls and stood their watching them. When they left I went inside and right after I closed the door Bert came walking up the steps. He had been out there. I don’t like that. I’m now nervous just going out on my deck.

Bert has gone from being a nuisance to being a bit dangerous. He charged me 5 times on Saturday. Once he came up the side of the deck, over the railing and I just made it inside as he landed on the deck. That was too close. The other times he was coming up the steps and I held my ground which caused him to stop, though he was definitely mad. I had to stand my ground since I was too far from the door to run, but each time I moved closer to the door until I could get in fast. Then he came charging onto the deck that last time. He is a young bear trying to establish his territory, and my bird feeders he has claimed as part of that territory. He looks at me as a danger and wants me to leave.

The authorities here won’t do anything because I’m feeding the birds which is attracting him, therefore it’s my fault that he comes. So I might have to stop. That’s a problem since this is spring migration time, the best time of year to get pics of the birds. No bird feeding means no birds which means no pics. I’m not really sure what to do. I take my bear spray out with me whenever I go out to feed the birds, and when I try to get pics. It will stop any bear for 20 to 30 minutes, which gives lots of time to get away. It’s powerful stuff and requires special permissions to carry it with me. I always take it when I go to the river. It’s a beautiful spring morning, smells so fresh out there, might get some showers today. I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2021 Steve McLeod.