So there we were once again and for the last time, back in the "old" bear hide. Our fourth overnight of the year in here and it was beginning to feel like home!
As we'd walked to the hide, the man who looks after everything had passed us on his Quad Bike, a couple of buckets of food on the back but no young lady. We assumed he'd go back for her but it wasn't to be. She had been left to walk on her own which made me feel a bit guilty as she could have come with us. Shown in to her hide which she had all to herself I nipped across and offered the use of our fly spray to kill off any mosquitos that might have entered the hide and to tell her we'd give her a knock when we were about to leave in the morning so she could walk back with us.
Before settling down in the hide we had a few little cosmetic jobs to do, whilst I tried to remove certain bits of grass and other undergrowth to give a clearer view Mike set about baiting a tree trunk.
Our objective to see if we could get the bear to stand upright! We'd seen it do just that in the middle of the clearing on a previous visit but the light had been far too dark to get a photograph. Maybe, with a little encouragement we could replicate the shot to a certain extent?
We'd agreed which tree to use, one we would both have a clear view of but Mike went to the wrong one. Too late, what was left I smeared on another tree which I could see.
Then we settled down for the evening.
Once again the action started early!
As before the Racoon Dogs were first.
Some seem to tolerate each other, others don't!
They are always aware of what's going on around them, sniffing the air and often staring in a given direction giving us a clue that something was about to happen.
The bear was on it's way!
No matter how often you see one it's still one impressive beast!
Tonight we had two bears.
This one loosing it's winter coat.
Again we had some great views.
The bears hung around for a while but after about 45 minutes they were both gone for good, or so we thought anyway. They often take a piece of food and wander off to eat it out of sight in the woods before returning for more, why this need for security I don't know but they must feel vulnerable in an open glade even though they wander around there for some time.
Once they have gone the Racoon Dogs were soon back and this time the Fox too.
The bait used to attract the bears is what appears to be soaked bread crusts and fish heads.
The bread is out in the open and is attractive to birds as well as all the other visitors, however the Racoon Dogs, Fox and Bears all prefer the fish heads and in an attempt to prevent all but the latter access to them various ways have been developed to try and prevent them.
Holes in the ground with logs over or wooden boards, anything really. The Racoon Dogs have the patience to dig under them though and can spend ages attempting entry. When you get a bit closer to the spots, particularly when the grass is shorter you realise the ground is full of craters a bit like a World War 1 battle ground in miniature.
One Racoon Dog had made several visits to the same spot and eventually got the prize he was after, a plump meaty Salmon head.
But someone had seen the opportunity too!
Enter stage left Mr Fox!
He must be aware of a presence in the hide but he wasn't detered in the slightest.
He was eyeing up the recently excavated fish head and he made his ambush quick and effective. Soon he was running off with his stolen prize.
We had some great views of all three mammal species, probably the best of any of our five nights.
The early visits in good light were a bonus.
but because we were in a clearing in the woods the light still fades reasonably early. Between 20.00 and 21.00 pm the action had virtually dried up so Mike decided to have a lie down. I said I'd try and keep going a while longer and lucky I did.
Just as it was getting dark one of the bears returned!
I woke Mike to come and see.
Having investigated one of the baited areas the bears had opened earlier the bear realised the Racoon Dogs had taken the rest of the food.
The bear wandered across the clearing and started sniffing.
Bingo, he'd discovered our bait.
He was soon up on his hind legs helping himself but to my total distress he wasn't in camera shot from my position in the hide. Even if I tipped the camera over as far as it would go through the viewing portal the view was blocked by a tree!
This was unbelievably frustrating. Lean over a foot or two and the view was perfect, as it was from Mike's position. He was rattling off the shots and I was sat cursing out loud!
Mike realised my dilemma and offered to swop positions which was very decent of him but we should have simply taken our camera bodies off the lens and swopped over that way but it was too late. Mike had pulled his lens ( identical to mine) out of the portal to allow me to stick mine through instead. This involved trying to push it through the cloth screen bag too and took precious moments. By the time I managed I tried to focus the camera and it wouldn't. I think the focus ring was caught in the bag. By the time I'd re adjusted it I was almost too late.
But not quite!
I got two shots one of which wasn't very sharp but who needs two anyway.
I was delighted to have got one at all!
The bear seemed to have finished with that tree and was now attracted by a second one I had baited.
but then he must have noticed some activity, probably in our hide.
He suddenly turned and ran and that was the last we saw of him!
The next morning we were awake very early as usual but couldn't really leave until the agreed time of 8.00am. After an hour and a half Mike suggested he knock on the other hide and see if the young lady was awake yet, it was after all 7.30am.
Was she ready? You bet!
Poor thing had had a sleepless night worried we would go without her. I think the size of the bears had taken her by surprise too, especially the one that had been stood up! She'd hardly slept all night!
We walked back to our cars together which was when we discovered her English was very good indeed. We asked if she'd seen everything, which indeed she had, and if she had some decent pictures.
She said that her camera gear wasn't up to it.
I have to say Mike and I are lucky to have top of the range gear that actually can make a dark scene quite light. Those last shots of mine were taken at ISO 25,600 which for those who don't know too much about photography is way beyond the limits of most cameras. Back in the days of film you had a choice of ISO 100, 200 or 400. Things have moved since then!
Anyway, amused by the size of our lenses, she asked to take a few shots of them so we took some of her holding one using her phone and promised we'd send her some bear photos too.
We bade our farewells, she was heading back to Tallin and college, we were off to the filling station for breakfast!
As we'd walked to the hide, the man who looks after everything had passed us on his Quad Bike, a couple of buckets of food on the back but no young lady. We assumed he'd go back for her but it wasn't to be. She had been left to walk on her own which made me feel a bit guilty as she could have come with us. Shown in to her hide which she had all to herself I nipped across and offered the use of our fly spray to kill off any mosquitos that might have entered the hide and to tell her we'd give her a knock when we were about to leave in the morning so she could walk back with us.
Before settling down in the hide we had a few little cosmetic jobs to do, whilst I tried to remove certain bits of grass and other undergrowth to give a clearer view Mike set about baiting a tree trunk.
Our objective to see if we could get the bear to stand upright! We'd seen it do just that in the middle of the clearing on a previous visit but the light had been far too dark to get a photograph. Maybe, with a little encouragement we could replicate the shot to a certain extent?
We'd agreed which tree to use, one we would both have a clear view of but Mike went to the wrong one. Too late, what was left I smeared on another tree which I could see.
Then we settled down for the evening.
Once again the action started early!
As before the Racoon Dogs were first.
Some seem to tolerate each other, others don't!
They are always aware of what's going on around them, sniffing the air and often staring in a given direction giving us a clue that something was about to happen.
The bear was on it's way!
No matter how often you see one it's still one impressive beast!
Tonight we had two bears.
This one loosing it's winter coat.
Again we had some great views.
The bears hung around for a while but after about 45 minutes they were both gone for good, or so we thought anyway. They often take a piece of food and wander off to eat it out of sight in the woods before returning for more, why this need for security I don't know but they must feel vulnerable in an open glade even though they wander around there for some time.
Once they have gone the Racoon Dogs were soon back and this time the Fox too.
The bait used to attract the bears is what appears to be soaked bread crusts and fish heads.
The bread is out in the open and is attractive to birds as well as all the other visitors, however the Racoon Dogs, Fox and Bears all prefer the fish heads and in an attempt to prevent all but the latter access to them various ways have been developed to try and prevent them.
Holes in the ground with logs over or wooden boards, anything really. The Racoon Dogs have the patience to dig under them though and can spend ages attempting entry. When you get a bit closer to the spots, particularly when the grass is shorter you realise the ground is full of craters a bit like a World War 1 battle ground in miniature.
One Racoon Dog had made several visits to the same spot and eventually got the prize he was after, a plump meaty Salmon head.
But someone had seen the opportunity too!
Enter stage left Mr Fox!
He must be aware of a presence in the hide but he wasn't detered in the slightest.
He was eyeing up the recently excavated fish head and he made his ambush quick and effective. Soon he was running off with his stolen prize.
We had some great views of all three mammal species, probably the best of any of our five nights.
The early visits in good light were a bonus.
but because we were in a clearing in the woods the light still fades reasonably early. Between 20.00 and 21.00 pm the action had virtually dried up so Mike decided to have a lie down. I said I'd try and keep going a while longer and lucky I did.
Just as it was getting dark one of the bears returned!
I woke Mike to come and see.
Having investigated one of the baited areas the bears had opened earlier the bear realised the Racoon Dogs had taken the rest of the food.
The bear wandered across the clearing and started sniffing.
Bingo, he'd discovered our bait.
He was soon up on his hind legs helping himself but to my total distress he wasn't in camera shot from my position in the hide. Even if I tipped the camera over as far as it would go through the viewing portal the view was blocked by a tree!
This was unbelievably frustrating. Lean over a foot or two and the view was perfect, as it was from Mike's position. He was rattling off the shots and I was sat cursing out loud!
Mike realised my dilemma and offered to swop positions which was very decent of him but we should have simply taken our camera bodies off the lens and swopped over that way but it was too late. Mike had pulled his lens ( identical to mine) out of the portal to allow me to stick mine through instead. This involved trying to push it through the cloth screen bag too and took precious moments. By the time I managed I tried to focus the camera and it wouldn't. I think the focus ring was caught in the bag. By the time I'd re adjusted it I was almost too late.
But not quite!
I got two shots one of which wasn't very sharp but who needs two anyway.
I was delighted to have got one at all!
The bear seemed to have finished with that tree and was now attracted by a second one I had baited.
but then he must have noticed some activity, probably in our hide.
He suddenly turned and ran and that was the last we saw of him!
The next morning we were awake very early as usual but couldn't really leave until the agreed time of 8.00am. After an hour and a half Mike suggested he knock on the other hide and see if the young lady was awake yet, it was after all 7.30am.
Was she ready? You bet!
Poor thing had had a sleepless night worried we would go without her. I think the size of the bears had taken her by surprise too, especially the one that had been stood up! She'd hardly slept all night!
We walked back to our cars together which was when we discovered her English was very good indeed. We asked if she'd seen everything, which indeed she had, and if she had some decent pictures.
She said that her camera gear wasn't up to it.
I have to say Mike and I are lucky to have top of the range gear that actually can make a dark scene quite light. Those last shots of mine were taken at ISO 25,600 which for those who don't know too much about photography is way beyond the limits of most cameras. Back in the days of film you had a choice of ISO 100, 200 or 400. Things have moved since then!
Anyway, amused by the size of our lenses, she asked to take a few shots of them so we took some of her holding one using her phone and promised we'd send her some bear photos too.
We bade our farewells, she was heading back to Tallin and college, we were off to the filling station for breakfast!
Fantastic shots the bear stood up says it all what a powerfull animal.
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith, the word awesome is over used nowadays but the bear truly is just that. Standing upright makes your jaw drop!
ReplyDelete