I was sitting at my dining room table this afternoon working on my laptop when I just happened to look up and glance out my sliding door windows into the back yard and look what I saw!! Whoa!! First thought, "Where's my camera?" Second thought, "Stupid zoom will not allow me to shoot through the closed glass doors and get a clear picture." Third thought, "Well, I don't think the bear will run up the stairs after me since he's feasting on my BIRD SEED!!" So, yes, I went out on my deck!! I even went to the railing! The bear looked at me, and I looked at him. He proceeded to eat, and I proceeded to shoot. This went on for about 10 minutes! There was only one point where he couldn't quite get the last bit of seeds from the inside of the feeder. I thought my feeder might be ripped to shreds, but then he looked at me and I decided to take cover in the house. He made a few more feeble attempts to get at the seed, while I came back out to try and tell him how to get it (you didn't know I was related to Dr. Doolittle did you?) but he'd lost interest or was full and decided it was time to check out the neighbor's fire pit which was filled with burning leaves and he sauntered off. I waited to see if he was going to come back, but the neighbor started to come out and I called across our yard to let him know the bear was there and that seemed to be the cue for Mr. Bear to depart into the woods. I can't tell you how surprised I was to see a bear in broad daylight. They do come around here every once in a while, but usually at dusk or in the night (which is why I bring my birdfeeder inside at night- that and the deer). Those two little white spots on his ears are tags, so he's been counted somewhere and is on somebody's tracking list. As I mentioned my zoom is horrible, so the close-ups I took are a bit fuzzy. But this one was sooc/no zoom and once I cropped it, he appears to be a little closer. So chalk up another moment of insanity for 365 on my calendar! The things we do for a shot!!
Fantastic! Awesome!We had a first year cub on the road last night that was treed by a dog crying for his mom.Never heard that before.broke my heart.but 20 minutes later mom must have found him.
@mzzhope Thanks Hope! We were hiking at Stokes State Forest once and came upon a mother with two cubs who treed the moment they saw us. We thought we were gonners! But I guess the mom figured we were running away from them for a good reason and she didn't pursue us! @henrir Thanks Henri- yes with bears; no with snakes.
@maggiemae Thanks Maggie! I will have to keep the feeder in for about a week just in case he returns looking for me. That way it won't become part of his pattern. @traceyhn Thanks Tracey! It also looks like an upside down capital D. @taffy Thanks Taffy! Cool? Well, I've never heard a momentary lapse of reason described that way! I think if Jeff had been home he'd probably would have scolded me! But since he saw the photo after the fact he's ok with it! hehe @lisabell Only scary when it looked like he was considering heading in my direction. A hasty retreat inside took care of that! Thanks Lisa!!
@bkbinthecity Thanks Brian- we live on the edge of a small "forest"- 9 acres of undeveloped land, so it's not too surprising. We've had them before, but thankfully not on a regular basis. @digitalrn Thank you Rick! Definitely a beautiful coat- it was glossy even on an overcast day. @kerristephens Thanks Kerri! @twr Thanks Timothy!
What a wonderful sight to see. I just love the heart shape in the log, noticed it straightaway! I love bears and have a collection of around 800. Some soft and cuddly and others made from all sorts of different mediums. We have decided to give a lot of the fluffy ones to a local children's center.
You couldn't have done better. Excellent capture of this nervy bear scavenging during daylight hours! They have a big problem with bears in the NW part of suburban Orlando coming in through the Ocala Natl Forest. Fortunately we don't have any yet here in the NE section. They do a lot of damage breaking pool screens, fences and getting into garbage cans, strewing garbage every where. Otherwise they are cute :-)
@salza Thanks Sally! That's a great idea to offer some of your collection to the kids- who better to keep the love going?! I must say, it's pretty awesome to see one so up close and personal although I wish it didn't involve the consumption of the stuff I put out for my "chirps"! @maggiemae Thank you Maggie! @pflaume Thank you Lisa! @alia_801 Thanks Alia!
@janetoner Thank you Jane! And thank you so much for the fav!! Not so much a brave move as it was bold (i.e. sort of stupid!!)
@sangwann Thanks Dione! Not so brave- see comment to Jane!! @allie912 Thank you Allison! And thank you so much for the fav!! lol I'm not really brave- just nuts enough to think it was a photo opp! @cimes1 Thank you Carole! Yes, it's a problem here as well. Although we are on the edge of some woods, the bears don't see any difference between garbage cans here or by a restaurant. If they smell it, they will eat it! @pennyp Thanks Penny! lol Only for that split second I thought he might head in my direction! @archaeofrog Thank you Katie! I think he's safe for now- but I don't know if they'll be having a bear hunt this year or not. It tends to draw a lot of negative publicity- until a bear destroys something- or someone.
Boy you were brave to go out there to get a good picture. I don't know if I could've done it. have to fav. your action. btw I saw the heart in the log before I realized that your picture was actually the bear.
@nicolecampbell Thanks Nicole! I was closer to the door- but still...! @espyetta Thanks Marybeth! Yes, two tags that look like earrings. Well, I guess in a way they were! I guess he's being tracked. @mhatch Thank you Mark! Thankfully this is not a common occurrence although they are regulars in other parts of our community. I live on the eastern side of Pennsylvania near the Delaware Water Gap. If you look on a map I am near the city of Stroudsburg.
Thanks all for your comments. I must get to bed early tonight, so I'll be back to view your great pictures tomorrow.
@henrir Thanks Henri- yes with bears; no with snakes.
@traceyhn Thanks Tracey! It also looks like an upside down capital D.
@taffy Thanks Taffy! Cool? Well, I've never heard a momentary lapse of reason described that way! I think if Jeff had been home he'd probably would have scolded me! But since he saw the photo after the fact he's ok with it! hehe
@lisabell Only scary when it looked like he was considering heading in my direction. A hasty retreat inside took care of that! Thanks Lisa!!
@digitalrn Thank you Rick! Definitely a beautiful coat- it was glossy even on an overcast day.
@kerristephens Thanks Kerri!
@twr Thanks Timothy!
i guess he/she is fattening up for the winter slumber.
Nice wood pile!
@maggiemae Thank you Maggie!
@pflaume Thank you Lisa!
@alia_801 Thanks Alia!
@sangwann Thanks Dione! Not so brave- see comment to Jane!!
@allie912 Thank you Allison! And thank you so much for the fav!! lol I'm not really brave- just nuts enough to think it was a photo opp!
@cimes1 Thank you Carole! Yes, it's a problem here as well. Although we are on the edge of some woods, the bears don't see any difference between garbage cans here or by a restaurant. If they smell it, they will eat it!
@pennyp Thanks Penny! lol Only for that split second I thought he might head in my direction!
@archaeofrog Thank you Katie! I think he's safe for now- but I don't know if they'll be having a bear hunt this year or not. It tends to draw a lot of negative publicity- until a bear destroys something- or someone.
@espyetta Thanks Marybeth! Yes, two tags that look like earrings. Well, I guess in a way they were! I guess he's being tracked.
@mhatch Thank you Mark! Thankfully this is not a common occurrence although they are regulars in other parts of our community. I live on the eastern side of Pennsylvania near the Delaware Water Gap. If you look on a map I am near the city of Stroudsburg.
Thanks all for your comments. I must get to bed early tonight, so I'll be back to view your great pictures tomorrow.
@jackie8 Thank you Jackie!
LoL- I'm not really that brave- the door was close enough. It's more like I'm crazy enough to get the shot!