I get quite a bit of wildlife on my property and having photographed nature and wildlife for 20+ years, I have waited and waited... and waited a very long time to see a bear on my property. Not the evidence of a bear, not a picture from a neighbors cell phone, or bear scat at the back of my property, or paw prints on my window, or another broken feeder demolished by a bear, but with my own eyes that I could capture with my camera. Today was that day and it was magnificent!
I've always wondered how they take down these relatively high hanging feeders and walk away with them? I saw how they do it...
They stand on their hind legs and they "yank" with no effort whatsoever!
Several years ago I replaced the wall of glass in my office with double pane clear glass so that I could photograph wildlife passing by unobstructed. Since the window installation my office has become a bit more crowded. There's Finn's cat tree (so he can watch all the animals too) a second monitor I use for editing client images, all of which slightly block my view. Finn was sitting on the windowsill, which is low to the ground watching and I was in such awe, (almost disbelief for a nanosecond) but not so awestruck that I didn't have the camera in my hand in 3 seconds flat!
Suddenly the bear stood up on his hind legs and Finn vanished! I mean "yabba dabba doo" style, I swear, it was like he vaporized! (I laughed about this later.) I must say it was a very swift and impressive move by our visitor. It startled me too, especially when he was leaning on the window and all I wanted to do was capture the moment I've waited so long to do without scaring him away before I could land a few shots. I was able to get outside, yet remain at safe distance for one image.
It's better than I imagined it... I am so blessed to see all wildlife I have the privilege of seeing in my own backyard.
I am so very thankful.
(and just as put the period on thankful, he has just come back...)
