Matt Griffin sent us these photos of this beautiful bear beside the Chocorua River just north of Chocorua Lake, which reminded us of several recent stories of people having their bird feeders whisked away by one of our fully wide-awake furry neighbors. New Hampshire Fish and Game recommends only hanging bird feeders outside between December 1, or the full onset of winter, and April 1, and taking care to keep garbage and other temptations inaccessible—to protect bears as well as humans and bird feeders.
Seeing birds out the window and from our porches and lawn chairs is a joy. Consider planting flowers that attract hummingbirds and other gorgeous pollinators, shrubs and trees that fruit in different seasons to feed a range of birds, and a variety of trees and shrubs that create safe places for them to nest in (the NH State Forest Nursery sells inexpensive bare-root seedlings of an array of species suitable for wildlife food and cover). These actions will support the birds in your neighborhood, and also protect bears from the dangers of coming into too-close contact with humans.
Bears in the Basin