Grouse Mountain - Refuge for Endangered Wildlife - Ranger's Journal

Grinder and Coola Emerge from their 10th Hibernation

2011-05-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2pm, Grinder and Coola, our two resident Grizzly Bears, emerged from their 10th hibernation at Grouse Mountain. This was their longest hibernation at Grouse Mountain at a little over five months in duration!

As per their usual routine, Grinder dug his way out first once the den door was open and he was followed shortly thereafter by Coola. Once outside both bears proceeded to have a good romp in the snow, slide down the snow hills, clean their coats on the fresh snow and generally have a good time. After a good wrestle they both were breathing heavy and ready for a bit of R&R in the snow.

During hibernation Grinder and Coola did not eat, sleep, urinate or deficate. They did spend some time shifting around, stretching and occasionally going for a short walk. These movements help keep their bones and muscles active so that in the spring they can be ready to go. Their rambuncious antics certainly were testimony to that!

You can now visit Grinder and Coola in their hibernation habitat daily during our operating hours.

Some photos of the emergence:

Excavations begin on Bear Habitat!

2011-03-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone - it has been a long winter filled with incredible snow fall and amazing ski conditions. Now, however, the days are getting longer and warmer and that means Grinder and Coola are begining to wake-up from their period of winter dormancy. Both bears have been seen leaving their sleeping chamber more often to explore the outer building, have a look outside, or roll around in the snow that has blown into their bear den.

Seeing this, we have begun our excavations of the bear's hibernation habitat adjacent to the bear den. This process will take up to two weeks and then we will put the fence up and allow the bears to official end their hibernation. For now we will continue to work at preparing their home and monitoring their behaviors.

More updates to follow but here are a couple pictures of the incredible snow base we have to clear from around the bear den!

Bears Build Bed - Close to Hibernation Now!

2010-11-19T15:48:00.001-08:00

On Thursday morning, November 18th, Grinder and Coola suddenly decided it was time to build their hibernation bed! We had provided them with lots of nice soft fir branches a couple weeks before hand but they had gone largely ignored until today. The trigger for their bed building was probably our dropping temperatures and our first serious dump of snow. The snow, cold and short days are all triggers that the bears should begin their winter sleep.

It was all over in a couple short hours and the bears were enjoying their new mattress! As the snow continues to build over the next few days the bears will spend an increasing amount of time sleeping inside. Once we are sure they are spending most of the day inside the den we will close the outer door to their 'bear hotel' and they will spend the winter inside.

Here are a few screen shots of the bed making activity from our infrared cameras inside the den - remember it's pitch black in there!

An Empty Den

Grinder checking out the den.

The first few branches are dragged in.

Testing out the first branches.

Time for more!

A view of the new mattress.

Coola and Grinder test it out together.

Ahhhh perfect!

Bears ready for hibernation!

2010-11-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

Grinder and Coola are now inhabiting their hibernation habitat around their bear den. Both bears are super plump and have put on more weight than in previous years - maybe this is a sign of a long and cold winter to come?

They are spending their days laying around with the occasional foray to eat, although food is being left behind each day which is a sign that the bears are happy with their weight and feel prepared for the upcoming winter.

Yesterday we provided them with a huge mound of Silver-fir branches which they will drag into their sleeping quarters and use to create a mattress of branches for their long winter sleeps. As of this morning they have not begun to create a bed but it shouldn't be far off as we received a few inches of fresh snow today.

After we've received our first significant snow fall we will cut off food and this lack of food, combined with short days and cold, snowy, weather will trigger hibernation.

Here are a few shots of Grinder lounging around the hibernation habitat!

Bird Calls at Night

2010-10-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks here on Grouse Mountain, if you wandered around late at night, you would have heard a strange cacophony of bird calls and sounds that you never hear in the light of the day.

These are the calls of the nocturnal migrants. Many bird species migrate at night for safety. Predators such as bird's of prey are not active, and because temperatures are cooler, less energy is spent in staying cool during the long demanding flights of migration. It's the equivalent of going for a late evening or early morning job before the heat of the day hits.

As always, there is safety in numbers so many species, or even mixes of species, migrate together and stay in touch through contact calls. Due to poor visibility, contact calls are the best way to stay in touch with your neighboring migrants during the night. Many of these flocks touch down briefly or pass overhead of the local mountains while flying at altitude. This is why we can hear them so clearly on top of Grouse Mountain.

It's an amazing experience to hear a chorus of birds at one o'clock in the morning! Experts study radar images of migration to determine the quantity and timing of migration. Vast flocks of thousands of birds show up as distincts groupings on radar images and allow ornithologists to study this unique phenomena.

Peeking at Pikas

2010-08-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

While walking near the ski runs on Grouse Mountain you might hear an occasional sound that resembles a squeeker from a dog toy. This sound, an alarm call, is coming from a small diurnal (active during the day) mammal known as a Pika, which inhabits the rocky terrain found around the mountain.

The American Pika (Ochotona princeps) is the species of Pika that is common to western North America and they are normally found above the tree line in the alpine. However, they are known to adapt to any area at elevation where large rock fields are created, such as ski runs.

Pika's are members of order Lagomorpha, which includes rabbits and hares. They are strict herbavores who feed on a variety of alpine grasses and leaves. They do not hibernate in the winter time, but rather store caches of dried vegetation to feed on in the cold winter months. They can be seen during the summer months both feeding and drying out their grasses for the coming winter season.

Watch and listen for this curious little mammal next time you are walking on talus or rocky slopes!

Here's a picture taken today on Grouse Mountain:

Barn Swallow Nestlings Ready to Fledge!

2010-07-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Every summer we find hundreds of Barn Swallows calling Grouse Mountain their summer home. This year has been no exception. These birds can be found zipping and diving all over the mountian in their endless pursuit of insects to feed on. They can also be seen diving into the bear ponds for either a quick drink or a quick bath!

Barn Swallows are the most wide-spread species of swallow and can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in the summertime. They migrate south for the winter before returning each spring.

When they arrive at the start of May they will begin to gather mouthfuls of mud which they use to construct nests that are attached to buildings, usually under the eaves or other shelter from the weather. Interestingly enough, while they used to also nest on cliff faces, they have come to rely on man-made structures and now nest exclusively on them.

After hatching, young Barn Swallows grow quickly, with both the adult male and female birds feeding them, and after 18-23 days the young are ready to leave the nest. We've been watching one nest that was constructed on top of a light bulb of the building where we store our bear food. The young birds are now very close fledgling and within a couple days should be following mom and dad around the mountain and learning how to catch their food!

Here are some shots from this morning - enjoy!

Grizzly Bears Enjoy a Good Summer Splash

2010-07-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! The weather has turned warm over these last couple of weeks and that means only one thing to the bears - pool time! These days it is quite common to see Grinder and Coola hanging out in one of their three ponds within their five acre habitat. Sometimes it's a quick dip and other times they will be in for hours.

Both Grinder and Coola have stashed some of their favourite items, including old bones, branches, grass clumps and an old shovel handle, in the mud at the bottom of the ponds. It is not uncommon to see them with their heads submerged (ears poking out of course!) and paws active as they search the bottom for where they last left their items. Today, Coola was playing with an old bone and was twirling it between his front paws and his back and finally flipped it up into the air. It was quite comical to watch!

Also, what would a pond be without a little playful wrestling? Grinder and Coola can be found having a good ol'fashioned pool fight usually at least once per day. This includes splashing, dunking and jumping on one another. I don't think they've ever heard about the rule of no running on the pool deck either!

Here's some shots from this morning:

Baby Boom Continues on Grouse Mountain!

2010-07-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

Walking around the mountain top these days is like walking around one giant wildlife nursery! Baby birds of all species have left the nest and are following their parents around and are feeding on their own for the first time in their lives. Baby mammals, such as deer and black bear, can be seen doing likewise.

It always amazes me to see wildlife adapt to human structures and developments. Birds especially can be remarkably adaptable to nesting in or on man-made objects. Numerous Barn Swallow nests are located in the eves and rafters of our buildings here and just recently we found out about a Northern Flicker nest located in one of our Glen Greensides statues of a Basketball Player (see photos below).

Northern Flickers, a type of woodpecker, excavate cavities in both living and dead trees. These cavities can take up to two weeks to construct. Great care is taken in choosing the location and direction of the opening to the cavity. Woodpeckers are careful not to excavate above a branch, where rainwater could enter and fill up the hole. Also, the entrance is usually orientated south and east to get the maximum amount of sun and daylight (especially in more northerly locations). You can usually tell which species of woodpecker have excavated a cavity because the opening will be just large enough to allow an adult bird to enter it. The parent birds then line the cavity with a bed of wood chips on which they lay two to six eggs.

The cavity we found on the statue was rather large, indicating it was a Northern Flicker nest and not one of our other common woodpeckers such as a Red-breasted Sapsucker, and its entrance was indeed facing southeast! When taking the photos below I waited for some time for the parents to return to feed the young adult male flicker but they did not show up.

Returning the next morning I found the young bird had fledged (left the nest) and was resting on a nearby statue. The parent birds will often encourage the young to leave the nest by holding off on feeding them just long enough that the young bird is hungry enough to brave the outside world. The parents then protect and watch over the fledgling while it learns to forage and strengthens its muscles for flight.

I hope you enjoy the photos and before we know it this young guy will be tapping on trees, vocalizing loudly and otherwise proclaiming himself to the world.

Baby Wildlife Appearing on Grouse Mountain!

2010-06-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Spring is changing into summer (albeit slowly!) and with that change the first young animals of the year are starting to appear. We've already seen young deer following their mothers around, and black bears with cubs wandering the high areas of the mountain. In addition to the baby mammals, our feathered wildlife has also been busy and we've spotted the first young Robins out of their nest within the last week and some young barn swallows within their mud-nests.

Just the other day we saw a pair of Dark-eyed Juncos feeding their young in a dense shrub near the Grizzly Bear Habitat. The shrub offers excellent protection from predators and if it weren't for spotting the adults entering the shrub with food we would probably never have known they were there! I've attached some photos taken with a telephoto lens (please remember to respect the birds and don't get too close or distruptive if you are photographing a nesting location. Never remove the protective cover to get a better shot as the babies rely heavily on this for safety). Hope you enjoy!

Grinder and Coola Emerge from Hibernation!

2010-04-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Grinder and Coola, our two resident Grizzly Bears, have emerged from their 2009/2010 hibernation period at the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife.

This was their ninth hibernation - all have taken place at the Refuge.

Grinder, being the bold, head strong bear, was the first to emerge and was followed shortly by Coola (shown to the left).

After a little over four months in hibernation, the bears were ready to rumble and immediately started to run and play in the snow. It's always one of their most energetic days of the year and for the rest of the afternoon Grinder and Coola were seen wrestling each other or rubbing their coats, dirty from hibernation, in the clean snow. Of course, they are also out of shape, so these periods of activities were followed by some serious bear napping!

The term 'hibernation' is a bit of a misnomer when talking about bears. Grizzly Bears are not true hibernators and instead enter a period of deep sleep more correctly called Winter Dormancy. During this period they do not defecate, urinate, eat or drink, however their body temperature and heart rate does not drop as drastically as true hibernators, instead they slow down. Also, bears quite often go for 'sleep walks' during the winter to stretch their muscles and keep their bones strong.

We will soon be switching our hibernation cameras out onto the habitats to allow Grinder and Coola's fans to watch them in action in their habitat. Please stay tuned!

Hummingbirds return to Grouse Mountain!

2010-04-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the first sighting of 2010 of Hummingbirds on Grouse Mountain!

For the past five years Grouse Mountain has sponsored a Hummingbird Monitoring Project that has led to interesting research and findings about hummingbirds in a sub-alpine environment.

Every two weeks our wildlife staff go out and count hummingbirds coming to feeders, band each bird with a microscopic bird band and take important measurements and data on the age and sex of the bird. This data is then compiled with other stations throughout Western North America to provide a more complete picture of what is happening with hummingbird populations and migration.

Contrary to the myth, Hummingbirds do not migrate on the backs of other birds - they do the journey all under their own power! The most common hummingbird in the Vancouver area is the Rufous Hummingbird. These amazing birds complete a migration from Mexico to as far north as Alaska each year before doing the return journey in the late summer after they are done breeding. If you consider body size to distance travelled, the Rufous Hummingbird has the longest migration ratio of any bird!

Please watch for these amazing birds at our feeding and monitoring station behind our outdoor plaza (aka Ice Rink) when you next visit Grouse Mountain!

Work Begins on the Hibernation Habitat

2010-03-26T16:05:00.001-07:00

For the past week we've been working away at clearing some of the snow and setting up Grinder and Coola's hibernation habitat.

The bears have begun to move around more frequently and have been seen looking out of their den at their habitat. This is to be expected given our slightly warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours.

If all goes to plan the habitat should be ready in the next week or two and the bears will be able to come out and play in the snow. It is always a really exciting day when the bears first emerge. They love the snow and spend most of the day romping around, wrestling and rolling in the snow to clean their fur after a long winter's dormancy.

Spring approaches...

2010-03-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Whew, things have been a little hectic here on Grouse Mountain for the past few weeks with first the Olympic Games and now the Paralympic Games. For the entire Olympic period, the NBC Today Show was broadcasting from the mountain top and there was a flurry of activity everywhere you looked. Yet, through this all Grinder and Coola remained mostly asleep.

The last week of February was unusually warm and the bears stirred enough to prompt us into starting the fenceline of their Hibernation Habitat (the area directly outside of the bear hotel and the first section of habitat we put up each year). But, as it's want to do, as soon as we started on the fence, the snow came fast and hard. We had to delay fence construction, but it did not matter as Grinder and Coola had gone back into a deeper sleep. Now, however, a couple weeks later, things are warming up a bit and they are beginning to move around a lot more, as you can see on our den camera . Both bears are still looking chubby, probably due to the milder winter we had this year, but both look to be in excellent health.

Once we are sure Mother Nature does not plan for any more large dumps of snow we will finish off the habitat and open the doors to the bear hotel. But for now we wait and see...

For those of you who missed them, the NBC Today Show did two video features on our refuge. They focus on our pack of Timber Wolves, but Grinder and Coola do make an appearance! You can view them on our wildlife video page.

More updates to follow!

Bears Continue to Hibernate

2010-01-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

Even though temperatures have risen slightly in the last couple of weeks, Grinder and Coola continue their hibernation and can be viewed spending most of the day in their sleeping den.

The boys are still active from time to time and can be seen stretching, grooming or going for a bit of a wander every once in a while. This movement keeps their bones and muscles strong during the winter dormancy period. The fact that bears get up and roam around during this period indicates that they are not true hibernators (in which body temperatures drastically decrease and an animal is torpid) and rather enter a period of dormancy with periods of minimal activity.

You can watch Grinder and Coola live on our hibernation video feed found at http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/wildlife-education/refuge/grizzly-bear-live-camera.asp .

Bears Get Ready to Hibernate

2009-11-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Over the last week we've received our first couple feet of snow for the 2009/2010 winter season. It's beginning to look and feel a lot like winter up here!

Grinder and Coola have now moved into their Hibernation Habitat - the last stage before their winter sleep - and we have taken down and packed up the fenceline of their regular habitats. Both bears have fattened up considerably and are now starting to ignore their food - a sure sign that they are ready for hibernation. The simple action of walking across their hibernation yard is a tiring endeavor for them these days.

Despite being sleepy, however, both bears still love the snow and are often seen rolling and playing in the fresh powder. They even tried to build a snow cave/tunnel - which doesn't work too well with only 2 feet of snow!

Over the next week we will begin tapering off their food supply and as this dwindles the bears will look to form their fecal plug by eating the bark off some of the trees. This is the last stage before full hibernation begins.

You can follow Grinder and Coola on our Live Gizzly Bear Camera found on http://www.grousemountain.com . We will switch it to show inside their den once hibernation begins, but for now you can see their hibernation habitat.

Summer Fades into Fall

2009-10-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! This summer has flown by and we're now getting the bears and their habitat ready for winter.

Grinder and Coola have begun to fatten up and enter their 'hyperphagia' stage where all they want to do is eat! Over the next month they will put on weight and increase their fat stores in order to make it through the winter.

They will also begin their bed making process and making their den for their long winter naps.

I'm also pleased to announce that our bear cameras are now live and showing a view of our upper pond habitat. Watch for the bears day or night on this infrared camera! You can view it here: http://www.grousemountain.com/Summer/wildlife-education/refuge/grizzly-bear-live-camera.asp .

Once the bears enter their den for the winter, we will switch the camera to the interior view.

Enjoy!

Anna's Hummingbird Banded at Grouse Mountain

2009-06-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We had a very exciting hummingbird monitoring session yesterday. We banded 12 new hummingbirds, including our very first Anna's Hummingbird and our very first recapture of a bird not banded here on Grouse Mountain.

Anna's Hummingbirds are found in the Vancouver area, but are normally located at lower elevations near the coast.

The recaptured Rufous Hummingbird was banded four years ago at the base of nearby Fromme Mountain. She has survived all these years, and multiple visits to Mexico for the winter and is now back on Grouse Mountain and when we examined her she had a nearly fully developed egg in her abdomen. It's exciting to see she chose here to breed!

The Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife participates in the North American Hummingbird Monitoring Network and is the only mountaintop site in BC. The Hummingbird Monitoring Network is monitoring hummingbird populations across western North America and investigating the apparent decline of these magnificent birds. We band every two weeks whenever hummingbirds are present, and data on the age, measurements and health of the birds is collected and compared with other stations.

For more information please see: http://www.hummonnet.org/

Grinder and Coola Emerge

2009-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Grinder and Coola have come out of their 2008/2009 hibernation period! They awoke in April and were recently seen emerging into their hibernation habitat for a long wrestling and play session.

Grizzly bears hibernate anywhere from one month to five months in the wild. Here on Grouse Mountain Grinder and Coola usually hibernate for three or four months, depending on the season.

For the next couple of weeks you can visit Grinder and Coola in their hibernation area until they have access to their full five acre habitat. We are currrently in the process of excavating all of the snow from their habitats and hope to have them ready as soon as possible!

Grinder and Coola Prepare for Winter

2008-11-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

Grinder and Coola have begun to prepare for their 8th winter hibernation. As the days grow shorter and the temperatures fall lower, the bears are getting more sluggish and sleepy. Both bears have begun to sleep 14-16 hours a day and are spending their remaining hours building their den and making sure things are just right with their hibernation bed.

At the refuge we are also preparing for hibernation and are making sure our bear cameras are in working order. Everything is running well and posted below are a series of videos showing Grinder and Coola's preparations.

Staff have thrown in extra Pacific Silver-fir (Amabalis) branches for bedding material; the bears have shown a preference for this type of branch since the needles are dense and flat on the branch. The first video shows the bears pulling the branches in through the main door of their hibernation hotel:

After pulling the branches in, Grinder arranges them into their den chamber - he has to get each piece in the right spot!

Finally, Grinder inspects his handi-work:

All of this leads to a good nights sleep as we can see in this clip from 2 in the morning the following night!

The bears will continue these preparations over the next few days and will eat less and less food as the snow starts to fall. After our first good snow fall the boys will enter the den for the winter and officially be in hibernation.

Fall Arrives at Grouse Mountain

2008-10-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Temperatures have fallen to just above zero and we've seen our first snow fall. This means it's time to break out the winter jackets and gloves!

Grinder and Coola have fattened up and are spending more of their time sleeping in the woods. The other morning they slept in until after 10am before finally getting up to eat. Soon they will begin to build their winter bed inside the den by dragging in silver-fir branches.

The wolves have grown back their winter coats and have put on more weight to see them through the upcoming cold months. They can still be found, however, laying out it the fall sun, soaking it up and enjoying the last remnants of summer.

Most birds have migrated off the mountain for warmer climes, but some, like the Grey Jay, have arrived back on the mountain to spend the winter. Grey Jays, also known as Whiskey-jacks, spend their summers in the alpine and return to the sub-alpine environments when the snow begins to fall.

Babies Babies Everywhere

2008-07-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year on top of Grouse Mountain as all of the young birds and mammals are venturing out from their nests and dens.

The cute little guy in the picture is one of the fledgling American Robins from a nest on our very own Wildlife Centre. Robins can have up to three clutches each year if conditions are favourable. At the moment we are seeing the second clutch of young birds leaving the nest. When they first leave the nest they are unable to fly but they quickly exercise their muscles and within a day or two they are lifting off. Young Robins will be independent from their parents at around 4 weeks of age.

In addition to birds, we are seeing lots of young mammals on the mountain. The Black-Tailed Deer are leading their fawns around, young Douglas Squirrels can be seen in the trees and even the occasional mother Black Bear and cub have been spotted.

With our berry bloom just about to happen, birds and mammals alike will be out in full force, chowing down on the scrumptious summer foods.

Bears and Wolves Enjoying Summer!

2008-07-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well for the past few weeks it's really started to feel like summer up here at Grouse Mountain. All of the berry bushes are in bloom and fledgling birds can be seen all over the mountain making their first attempts at flight. Grinder, Coola and our three Timber Wolves have also been enjoying the warmer weather. For the wolves it means a chance to sun themselves out in their open fields, but we have also seen them playing in their pond - a great way to cool down! Speaking of cooling down, the bears have excavated the rest of the snow from their ponds and can be seen playing in them most afternoons. Coola especially likes the water and for the past few days has had a favourite stump that he has been playing with. He tosses it into the air, catches it and then bobs it under water and watches it fly up into the air. Grinder usually just prefers to wrestle! More updates to come soon.

Barn Swallows Return to Grouse Mountain

2008-05-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Every year, hundreds of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) return to nest at Grouse Mountain. These sleek birds fly thousands of miles to and from their wintering grounds in Central and South America. They feed exclusively on flying insects - not even bothering to land to feed!

Their natural nesting sites include rocky projections and overhangs, but they have easily adapted to human constructed buildings. Now they quite readily nest under bridges and in the eaves of buildings. Try to spot some of their nesting sites the next time you are on the mountain. They have even been known to nest underneath our Super Skyride and every fifteen minutes the young birds ride up or down the mountain. Talk about a lot of work for the parent birds who must follow and feed them!

Grinder and Coola Emerge from Hibernation!

2008-04-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

On Friday, April 25th, Grinder and Coola, our two resident orphaned Grizzly Bears, emerged from their seventh hibernation at the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife.

After checking to make sure everything was set in their outdoor hibernation habitat, we opened the door to their bear hotel. We left a small amount of snow covering the door to make it a more natural and exciting exit for the boys and they were quick to discover that they had a bit of work to do to get outdoors! The sounds of digging were heard moments after the door opened.

Grinder was the first to emerge. The first glimpse we saw was a snow-covered snout poking through the snow and this was quickly followed by a giant bear paw pushing and scratching at the snow to widen the opening. Once it was enlarged enough, Grinder pushed his way through and, happy to be outdoors, he proceeded to run around the habitat at full speed.

Coola, being the larger of the two, needed to widen the opening even further in order to get through. He continued to work on the hole as Grinder explored the habitat. However, Grinder, not being known for his patience, couldn't wait for Coola to come out and play. So, to help him out, Grinder went back and worked at the snow from the outside. Finally, almost ten minutes after Grinder emerged, Coola was outside and the romp was on!

The bears immediately went into a full on play wrestling session. Rolling, pushing, tackling, sliding, somersaulting, running and punching are just some of the activities that we observed as the two of them let off some pent up energy.

The bears, however, have just spent the last four months hibernating and are not as fit as they will be come summertime. Therefore, this big play session was quickly followed by a bear nap on top of one of the snow hills inside the habitat. Tuckered out, the bears slept for the remainder of the day.

The next step for us, as their caretakers, is to prepare their large five acre habitat. There is still a huge amount of snow to move around and lots of fencing to get ready. So for now, I'll sign off, and get to work digging!