Wildlife Report July 7th 2011

The most recent Tide Rip Tour rewarded us with yet another great chapter in the season of the Grizzly bears around the cove.  Since mating season has ended, a first time mother has arrived with her 2 very tiny cubs of the year.  Two years ago she was mating for the first time, but as our guide Derek pointed out then, she was just going through the motions.  So my hopes for her to arrive with coys last year were disappointed, but now she has delivered, and just in time.  There might have been a few early sockeye enter the river, because Lenore was at the entrance to the river(a very strategic position for fishing).  Other behavior that point to salmon presence, was our observance of Bella & cubs checking the intertidal salmon fishing area in between their rock turning routine.  We had an amazing view as she passed the new mother.  As Bella realized the other mother was there, she huffed to signal her cubs to approach with caution.  Both sets of cubs stood on their hind legs, getting closer to their mothers.  Bella passed by and ran around the low tide river braid with her cubs until noticing Lenore.  She then retreated back to rock turning and Lenore advanced to HER fishing spot, displacing Bella.  All this while her recently dispelled cub, Peanut eats mussels in a nearby bay alone.  It very well may be that Lenore is extra motivated to assert her fishing spot to assure her pregnancy the nutrients she needs.