What a difference a week makes!
Both the salmon and bears back at Brooks Falls...and making up for lost time.
For some...not a moment too soon.
A few really really skinny.
856 has reasserted himself as the dominant male this year.
747, frankly, does not seem to care.
32 (Chunk) OTOH seems to have lost his bear mind this week-
and seems to be challenging everyone.
747 remained unimpressed and unmovable. When Chunk reared up and walked toward him on two legs 747 stood solidly and looked at him like
"Seriously, Dude???"
When he walked over to 856 and roundly cuffed him...856 immediately reminded him who was boss.
"Now, we aren't going to DO that again...are we???"
Sometimes, it is tough to be a bear.
But the salmon are back, and leaping.
And the bears are back, and catching...
And The Alices are back, waiting not-so-patiently for scraps.
And all is right with The World.
Except that we are all still waiting for Otis to arrive.
He is one of the oldest bears at Brooks Falls...well over 35 and each year there seems to be a collective holding-of-breath until he shows up for another year.
Otis last year.
...someday I'm going to paint this shot...
And there has been a little drama already, this year.
When 806's cub...already nicknamed Trouble...went over the Falls.
And some a bit more menacing...
When Bead (910jr cub) decided she was sooooooooooooooooooo hungry and 856 had just caught a large salmon...so she was going to try to join him in his meal.
Lucky for her she thought the better of it.
He would have killed her outright.
903 (Gully) is back.
Named so...because he catches and eats sea-gulls.
And, yes, he does sit like Snoopy's vulture.
And now there have been two sets of triplets seen.
Both 901 and 807 having three each this year.
Spent a small part of every morning and evening now with the bear-folk...and it is a nice way to begin and end the day!
