Bear Skeleton

We found the remains of a bear. We found him where the shrubs give way to grass near the Columbia River. We knew it was a bear from its large size, its big hand-like paw, its huge canines and a matted pile of light brown fur.

Bear skeleton found near the river not far from home

The coyotes must have feasted, and plenty of other animals too. Ravens, crows, eagles and stellar jays would have dined, along with raccoons, rodents, beetles, flies and worms. Parts of the bear were strewn about.
Black bears are common around here; grizzlies less so. It seems like a pretty big bear.
We don't fear bears as we ramble about the bush. We know they're out there, but they're shy. We make a lot of noise as we go along and they keep themselves out of sight.
I emailed photos of the carcass to our local conservation officers. They say they may investigate, that the poor thing may have been shot or struck by a vehicle. The idea saddens us. We like sharing our neighbourhood with bears and other creatures.
They face so many extreme challenges as they make their way through this human-ravaged landscape.

Bad News (Woolly) Bears

This little woolly bear is out and about looking for a cozy place in the leaf debris to overwinter.
According to folklore, its smaller than usual brown band is an omen of a harsh winter ahead, which I suppose is only bad news if you're not a skier. The caterpillar itself doesn't mind how cold and snowy it gets. It is one of the very few animals that can survive being frozen solid all winter long.

Woolly Bear looking for a good place to freeze

Generally freezing destroys living tissue as the water in the cells crystallizes, but woolly bears produce a natural antifreeze that prevents the insides of their cells from freezing. They can survive temperatures as low as -67°C (-90°F).
In the spring it will dine on fresh green grass and spin a cocoon for its transformation into an isabella tiger moth, losing its ability to survive freezing temperatures along the way.
Thanks to the University of Nebraska for teaching us about woolly bears.
https://lancaster.unl.edu/feature/guess10_3.htm

Coyote gets a fright

Coyote says, "This place gives me the creeps."
She puffs up her tail and shows off her killing moves, just in case any easily intimidated foes are watching, teeth clamping onto her own haunches.
Coyote says, "This place is even creepier at night!"
She soon finds out why.

Mushroom Heaven

A mossy forest is prime mushroom habitat. Mushrooms love moisture and trees. Some mushrooms grow on dead wood, while others live in cooperative relationships with live trees.

Prime Mushroom Habitat

It's late September and the mushrooms are popping!

Peekaboo Matsutake

This white mushroom emerging from the moss looks so much like the much sought-after 'piney' (aka matsutake), but we didn't know that when we were there! We didn't dig it up but would next time. You can tell a piney by its strong cinnamon smell and hard stipe (stalk).

Chanterelles

There were chanterelles everywhere! At least, I think these are chanterelles, with their trumpet shape and crosshatched ridges instead of separate gills. We only picked one, for further examination. Wish we'd picked a couple more while we were there. We hear chanterelles are delicious!

Chanterelles

There were a few of these big boletes, below. They may be admiral boletes. Boletes are great for beginner mushroomers like us because while they're not all good for eating, none of them will harm a person beyond a tummy ache. You can tell a bolete by the pores under the cap, instead of gills.

Admiral Bolete

And then there was this weird thing... I think it's an orange coral. People don't generally eat them, I just think they're really creepy-cool looking.

Creepy Cool Fungus

We also ran into this little guy. If you know what kind of frog this is I'd love to hear from you.

Teensy Forest Frog

Black Bear Settles in for a Nap

This handsome black bear hangs out in front of our wildlife cam all day! We're well within Castlegar city limits in beautiful BC, Canada, but the bears don't seem to mind. 

He shakes out his fur and tests the air...

He has a long scritch and curls up for a nap.

He naps here all day long, just getting up now and then for a pee.

He's just another mammal like you and me.