How strange it must seem in the animal kingdom that some creatures, particularly birds, are fed consistently—watched, even protected and admired—while others, equally interesting and worthy, or considered suitable candidates for poison.
I know she/they are back because my tube bird feeders are lying on the ground, seeds scattered and gone. I know how my bear would have stood on her hind legs to swat the hanging feeder down with one determined paw before using her long snout to snuffle up the seeds.
I fill the feeder again and hang it up, this time on a smaller twig so that when my bear returns, she can perhaps knock it down more easily without destroying it.
And then I will fill it again and hang it up again. The birds get something, but not much. The bear, as befits her, gets the bear’s share.
[To read the story of the bear above visiting my patio, please see “My Bear.” And to see the video of a thirsty bear visiting a neighbor’s fountain, see my post “Bear.”]
[There are many ways of looking at bears. One of the most radical is contained in my short story, “Bear,” available on this site.]
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