Last night something bent both our bird feeder poles to the ground and emptied all the feeders. With only a few sightings of Black Bears in Old Lyme over the years I want to report this. There is nothing on DEEP's website about possible bears. Many birds, including several Baltimore Orioles, have landed on a post near my home office window looking at me. They seem to know who puts out the food. I appreciate the recent discourse on bears to not put the feeders back up this summer. Fortunately I have planted many native plants for birds but no orange trees. Thank you for any advice, either to the listserv or directly to me. Chris Penniman Old Lyme, CT

DEEP takes reports: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Report-a-Wildlife-Sighting#:~:text=Submit%20a%20Public%20Bat%20Sightings,.batprogram%40ct.gov . Kathy Van Der Aue Southport, CT On Thu, May 19, 2022 at 9:38 AM Chris Penniman via CTBirds < ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > Last night something bent both our bird feeder poles to the ground and > emptied all the feeders. With only a few sightings of Black Bears in Old > Lyme over the years I want to report this. There is nothing on DEEP's > website about possible bears. Many birds, including several Baltimore > Orioles, have landed on a post near my home office window looking at me. > They seem to know who puts out the food. I appreciate the recent discourse > on bears to not put the feeders back up this summer. Fortunately I have > planted many native plants for birds but no orange trees. Thank you for any > advice, either to the listserv or directly to me. > Chris Penniman > Old Lyme, CT > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ >

Thank you for the helpful responses about reporting a possible Black Bear. Although the DEEP site implies it only takes actual sightings, it provides the opportunity to report a probable bear visit. Chris Penniman Old Lyme On Thu, May 19, 2022 at 9:49 AM Kathy Van Der Aue <kathyvda@gmail.com> wrote: > DEEP takes reports: > https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Report-a-Wildlife-Sighting#:~:text=Submit%20a%20Public%20Bat%20Sightings,.batprogram%40ct.gov > . > > > Kathy Van Der Aue > Southport, CT > > > On Thu, May 19, 2022 at 9:38 AM Chris Penniman via CTBirds < > ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > >> Last night something bent both our bird feeder poles to the ground and >> emptied all the feeders. With only a few sightings of Black Bears in Old >> Lyme over the years I want to report this. There is nothing on DEEP's >> website about possible bears. Many birds, including several Baltimore >> Orioles, have landed on a post near my home office window looking at me. >> They seem to know who puts out the food. I appreciate the recent discourse >> on bears to not put the feeders back up this summer. Fortunately I have >> planted many native plants for birds but no orange trees. Thank you for >> any >> advice, either to the listserv or directly to me. >> Chris Penniman >> Old Lyme, CT >> >> CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing >> birders together statewide. Please support COA: >> https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ >> CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For >> list rules and subscription information visit: >> https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ >> >