Nature Watch, Mar. 6, 2024

Here he is, fresh from winter dormancy, this small striped predictor of waking bears!  Somehow these two, chipmunks and bears, emerge briefly on warm days in winter for a walkabout,  perhaps even finding a welcome something to eat. If one is out, the other is likely out as well.  Neither will roam far from their dens and are quick to return, especially female bears who only leave their winter-born young to slumber alone, for short periods. Meanwhile, hundreds of winter goldfinches and siskins are passing through daily, and spring is coming, ready or not!