Last night the bear came and picked a fight with our raccoons - at least that's what it sounded like. There was a lot of chirring and squealing and a bigger, piggish, huffing sound. Couldn't see a thing, though.
Then a while later, the screech of nails being pulled from wood - short and sharp. We still don't have a photo of the black bear but he left a swathe of destruction this time.
A permanent bird feeder that no bear has ever noticed before drew his attention. Probably because all the neighbors have been warned and the hanging feeders are gone. So, he must have been very miffed and not a little hungry for those tasty seeds. Poor chickadee, surveying the damage. This feeder has gone now, too.
The easiest way to escape all these enclosed back yards seems to be straight through the fence. To a bear, these yards must seem like a series of boxed-in pens. Oddly, the big dog next door, who barks at shadows, never lets out a peep when the bear's around. Well, maybe she's smarter than I think.
We reported the bear's presence to the Bear Hotline. Their advice? Take down all bird feeders and clean up any seeds on the ground. The bears think this high protein, high-fat food is the best treat. And they can smell it even in the shells on the ground that the squirrels leave. So, we took down the feeder and dug up the ground. Pole beans will be planted around the post. Come the fall, the beans will all be eaten and the bear will be gone. The feeder will return.
What will happen tonight when there is nothing at all for the bear?
The bear will probably return tonight, find nothing, and leave. What a mess!! But at least no one was hurt. Perhaps she is a mama with cubs to feed. That would make her more desperate.
ReplyDeletePoor you -you have a problem on your hands! Hope that a clean up of the seeds will do the trick!
ReplyDeleteBut what about the chickadees?????
ReplyDeleteGinny - if it's a mama, having the bear trying to feed in this urban setting would be more dangerous for her - and any cubs - than making her go back to her traditional food sources in the hills.
ReplyDeleteJeanette - no bear at all last night. So I think it worked.
Angie - I know...I was worried about them, too. But we actually have enough natural food for them and probably the feeders change what the birds do naturally. We'll put them out again when the food is scarcer in the fall.