Fun Bear Activity

I'm taking a break from the desert stories today to tell you about springtime here in the mountains. The mountains themselves look wintery.

And the storms keep enveloping them. It's going to be mid-summer before we can hike easily up there.

But, down at our elevation, the animals are marching forward with their spring traditions. The bluebirds flit about the meadows and awe me with their brightness. And some shrubs, like the one the bluebird is perched on, are getting green leaves!

The bigger animals are getting moving too. I've seen lots of bear activity with my trail cameras recently.

It's been so much activity that I made a video of it. Here's a synopsis of what you'll see in the video.

First, a female marked a tree, and then she took a mud bath in the rain. During her bath, she rolled onto her back, and her nipples were visibly enlarged. I do believe that this sow has cubs, and we'll get to see the cubs when they get a little bigger. Usually, mother bears leave their tiny cubs high in pine trees while they go about their business. It isn't until the cubs are bigger and more agile that they will start moving around with their mother.

Then, a few days later, a big male did a bunch of marking on the main mating path in our area. I think that the male might be Milton Sr. but I'll have to see more footage before I'm certain. You can watch the video here or at Youtube.

I love springtime, even when it's filled with stormy weather. Seeing the bears go about their daily lives is simply amazing!