this is one of the most exciting shots of the summer seeing this bear reach
of the summer seeing this bear reach
of the summer seeing this bear reach into the nest come up with the egg in
into the nest come up with the egg in
into the nest come up with the egg in its mouth and you can see this perfectly
its mouth and you can see this perfectly
its mouth and you can see this perfectly preserved egg not yet crushed just
preserved egg not yet crushed just
preserved egg not yet crushed just sitting in the Bears teeth and then it
sitting in the Bears teeth and then it
sitting in the Bears teeth and then it goes ahead choose the egg and to me it’s
goes ahead choose the egg and to me it’s
goes ahead choose the egg and to me it’s really cool because I don’t usually get
really cool because I don’t usually get
really cool because I don’t usually get to see polar bears that close most of
to see polar bears that close most of
to see polar bears that close most of our work we’re looking through spotting
our work we’re looking through spotting
our work we’re looking through spotting scopes at polar bears or we’re seeing
scopes at polar bears or we’re seeing
scopes at polar bears or we’re seeing them from helicopters and to see a polar
them from helicopters and to see a polar
them from helicopters and to see a polar bear so clearly right in front of the
bear so clearly right in front of the
bear so clearly right in front of the camera when you can even make out its
camera when you can even make out its
camera when you can even make out its ear tag was just a real treat for me
ear tag was just a real treat for me
ear tag was just a real treat for me once we place these cameras it’s really
once we place these cameras it’s really
once we place these cameras it’s really just a waiting game to see what sort of
just a waiting game to see what sort of
just a waiting game to see what sort of data we’re gonna get at the end of the
data we’re gonna get at the end of the
data we’re gonna get at the end of the season so after about two months of
season so after about two months of
season so after about two months of waiting to go collect the data we flew
waiting to go collect the data we flew
waiting to go collect the data we flew out down along the coast and even as we
out down along the coast and even as we
out down along the coast and even as we approached the area from the helicopter
approached the area from the helicopter
approached the area from the helicopter I could see that a couple of the posts
I could see that a couple of the posts
I could see that a couple of the posts were knocked over and the cameras were
were knocked over and the cameras were
were knocked over and the cameras were laying on the ground
laying on the ground
laying on the ground we brought the data back to camp and and
we brought the data back to camp and and
we brought the data back to camp and and took a look at it our curious bear had
took a look at it our curious bear had
took a look at it our curious bear had been up to the camera and had chewed on
been up to the camera and had chewed on
been up to the camera and had chewed on the case a little bit
the case a little bit
the case a little bit it is just like the boogeyman all of a
it is just like the boogeyman all of a
it is just like the boogeyman all of a sudden the geese are there in the next
sudden the geese are there in the next
sudden the geese are there in the next frame there’s a bear you know right in
frame there’s a bear you know right in
frame there’s a bear you know right in front of the camera and then of course
front of the camera and then of course
front of the camera and then of course then we watch we keep watching and the
then we watch we keep watching and the
then we watch we keep watching and the geese eventually leave and that’s
geese eventually leave and that’s
geese eventually leave and that’s because all the eggs have been eaten by
because all the eggs have been eaten by
because all the eggs have been eaten by that bear these are large green eggs in
that bear these are large green eggs in
that bear these are large green eggs in each of these Eider nests and they look
each of these Eider nests and they look
each of these Eider nests and they look maybe about twice the size of a chicken
maybe about twice the size of a chicken
maybe about twice the size of a chicken egg but they’re packed full of calories
egg but they’re packed full of calories
egg but they’re packed full of calories so in each of these nests there’s four
so in each of these nests there’s four
so in each of these nests there’s four or five eggs over the course of about a
or five eggs over the course of about a
or five eggs over the course of about a week or a week and a half
week or a week and a half
week or a week and a half they ate almost 250 maybe up to 300
they ate almost 250 maybe up to 300
they ate almost 250 maybe up to 300 Eider nests and so that’s almost the
Eider nests and so that’s almost the
Eider nests and so that’s almost the calorie equivalent of two hundred and
calorie equivalent of two hundred and
calorie equivalent of two hundred and fifty thousand calories one of the other
fifty thousand calories one of the other
fifty thousand calories one of the other exciting observations and surprising
exciting observations and surprising
exciting observations and surprising observations at least for me was seeing
observations at least for me was seeing
observations at least for me was seeing the female bear with her cub and how
the female bear with her cub and how
the female bear with her cub and how they learned how to hunt throughout the
they learned how to hunt throughout the
they learned how to hunt throughout the summer or at least that’s the impression
summer or at least that’s the impression
summer or at least that’s the impression I got it seemed that they started off
I got it seemed that they started off
I got it seemed that they started off just sort of opportunistically stumbling
just sort of opportunistically stumbling
just sort of opportunistically stumbling across nests in the Eider colony but
across nests in the Eider colony but
across nests in the Eider colony but over the course of several days we
over the course of several days we
over the course of several days we watched them actually get better at it
watched them actually get better at it
watched them actually get better at it they began systematically hunting for
they began systematically hunting for
they began systematically hunting for fur nest and then eventually they even
fur nest and then eventually they even
fur nest and then eventually they even started getting good at hunting female
started getting good at hunting female
started getting good at hunting female ducks we started to see her almost stock
ducks we started to see her almost stock
ducks we started to see her almost stock the nest and then eventually run up to
the nest and then eventually run up to
the nest and then eventually run up to the nest pounce on the female and then
the nest pounce on the female and then
the nest pounce on the female and then eat her and the eggs as well so for me
eat her and the eggs as well so for me
eat her and the eggs as well so for me that was really cool to watch that
that was really cool to watch that
that was really cool to watch that happening
happening
happening these images were all taken in mid June
these images were all taken in mid June
these images were all taken in mid June of 2013 collected with remote wildlife
of 2013 collected with remote wildlife
of 2013 collected with remote wildlife cameras we’re using them to look at
cameras we’re using them to look at
cameras we’re using them to look at waterfowl predation the whole phenomenon
waterfowl predation the whole phenomenon
waterfowl predation the whole phenomenon of polar bears eating eggs is something
of polar bears eating eggs is something
of polar bears eating eggs is something that we’ve known about for a while and
that we’ve known about for a while and
that we’ve known about for a while and the question really is like how much are
the question really is like how much are
the question really is like how much are they doing it and is it increasing over
they doing it and is it increasing over
they doing it and is it increasing over time because of climate change from our
time because of climate change from our
time because of climate change from our camp we can look out to the west and see
camp we can look out to the west and see
camp we can look out to the west and see a glacial esker and that’s where the Sun
a glacial esker and that’s where the Sun
a glacial esker and that’s where the Sun sets every night and you just get these
sets every night and you just get these
sets every night and you just get these beautiful red yellow orange sunsets
beautiful red yellow orange sunsets
beautiful red yellow orange sunsets regularly and so for me that’s just one
regularly and so for me that’s just one
regularly and so for me that’s just one of the highlights of being out in the
of the highlights of being out in the
of the highlights of being out in the field all summer
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