Hungry Bears on the Move

Male cellophane bee, Colletes inaequalis, by Heather Holm.

Bears have emerged from their winter dens and are searching for food.

Males are usually the first to emerge (females with cubs stay put longer) and will be headed to wet areas that green up early (such as spring seeps, rivers, and streams). Bears will find their first sustenance in green skunk cabbage and other emerging herbaceous vegetation. 

Hungry bears will cover a lot of ground in search of foods, and can be particularly attracted to bird feeders in spring and early summer. Although it may be exciting or entertaining to see bears close to our homes, it is an unnatural and dangerous situation for both bears and humans. 

To avoid bear-human conflicts: mark your perpetual calendars to "bring bird feeders and seed/suet indoors" sometime during the first week of April. You can feed the birds again starting in early November. Winter is the best time to offer birds supplemental foods anyway (because natural foods are more limited). 

I hope you enjoyed this Phenology Note!

Join me in witnessing the seasons of our wild world.

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#ThePersonalEcologistI partner with eco-minded landowners to create thriving wildlife habitats in their backyards, gardens, fields and farms, woods or campuses - at any scale.I have 25 years of experience in my field, and a lifelong commitment to wi…

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I co-create biodiverse habitats with eco-minded stewards throughout the Northeast - at any scale.

I have 30 years of experience and a lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation.

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Deborah Perkins