Bearly Working

Our hummingbird feeder has taken a beating this week, but it’s not an overly aggressive ruby-throated male to blame—it’s a black bear. Unlike my neighbor, Maria, who snapped a photo of our neighborhood visitor with her phone a few days ago, I haven’t had the good fortune to see him in person. I’ve just seen the remnants of his early morning foraging, which includes our hummingbird feeder, which is now bashed in and riddled with puncture marks from his prying teeth.

I played around with some Photoshop filters to give the photo a little more texture, but you can still see the dents in the side and the gaping rip near the top. Ironically, each time I re-hang the crippled feeder after its mauling, the hummingbirds are flying eager drive byes, as if to say, “What took you so long?” I guess a little bear slobber doesn’t prevent them from enjoying a sweet treat.