Stevens Family Calendar: September

This is part of a series about the Stevens Family Calendar (if you know, you know).

Pure magic!

I have already told you that Bears tend to dominate our calendar. We featured a bunch in February. September is dedicated to just three: Crimped Ear and her twin cubs. We spent a couple of days at the Silver Salmon Creek Lodge in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, last year and the highlight was photographing these three. 

You can read about it here.

These appeared on the cover and in the opener;
Middle and right top photos: Scott Stevens

We had been searching for years for tiny Brown Bear cubs. We had seen some late season cubs, but never ones this little. 

That is one reason we decided to go back to Silver Salmon Creek in June instead of September, which is when we usually go to Alaska (so we can see wildlife and northern lights). 

Mid-June doesn't have much dark, so the aurora wasn't in the cards. But, the switch paid off in baby bears.

Even though we had a lot of photos to choose from, design won out
over quantity on the calendar page

This was the first time I had ever seen this year's Brown Bear cubs at the beginning of the summer. At the end of the summer, they have grown so much that they lose a lot of the baby cuteness.

This didn't make the cut, despite its charm

This post is a bit different than most of my monthly calendar posts because there's not much of a back story beyond what I have said in my post on the trip. It's basically a one-note song: lots of pictures of three Bears.

Mama and babies on the tidal flat; Photo: Scott Stevens

Silver Salmon Creek is a gorgeous place and, although this page is strictly Bears, we did sneak a few scenics in. With Bears in front, of course.

This is the most prominent shot on the main page; Photo: Scott Stevens

We used the one on the left on the calendar page

I mentioned before that the mother Bear's name is Crimped Ear because her left ear folds down more than normal. That makes it easy for the crew at the Lodge to easily recognize her.

They tell us that she is an extraordinary mother.

Both of these expressions of motherly love are on the calendar page; Left photo: Scott Stevens

Several times we got to watch as the giant Brown Bear nursed her cubs. 

This one is also featured on the main page; Photo: Scott Stevens

Our guide told us that, in the past, she hasn't been keen on nursing.

They said these cubs, however, always get their way; Photos: Scott Stevens

We always saw Crimped Ear teaching her little ones how to dig clams on the beach ...

Look close to see the water flying off the cub's paw

... and, we observed how hyper-vigilant she was when other Bears were around, especially some really big males ... 

Great shots of mama watching her cubs that didn't make it in

Mom was often on the beach with the cubs ...

Walking; Photo: Scott Stevens

Resting while they play; Photo: Scott Stevens

Perhaps the most fun was watching those little cuties play ...

The upper right is on the calendar page, but we didn't use the others; Photos: Scott Stevens

These were all on the main page; Photos: Scott Stevens

It was fun to watch them roll and tumble

Making faces

While mom was always close by, we did have a lot of opportunities to take photos of the two little ones together or even just one of the cubs alone.

Mom would wander away (but not too far) to graze on the deep sedge grass that attracts the Bears to the Silver Salmon Creek area or to dig the clams that attract them to the beach. 

The two youngsters would sometimes eat with her, but, often, they just played. 

We were fortunate that, despite some wretched weather on this trip, our first day at Silver Salmon Creek was glorious and our second was pretty good. 

There were even flowers for them to munch on; Left photo: Scott Stevens

So, we were able to get lots of photos of the Bears, especially the little guys, playing in the sun in the bright green grass.

Such a pretty scene; too bad these photos wouldn't fit in

The center photo is on the calendar page; Upper left and center photos: Scott Stevens

One even liked to stand more;
Photo: Scott Stevens

I noticed that, even as little as they were, the two cubs had different personalities. One was far more adventurous and curious. It tended to wander a bit farther and take a little longer to come back when mom called (the call being a very subtle chuff). 

The feisty one also was generally the one to spark play with its brother or sister. The other one liked to stay close to mom and the other cub.

How could I tell them apart? One had a collar of lighter fur that was a bit more prominent that its sibling. I read that male cubs are often more independent, but I don't want to stereotype.

The rambunctious one was a real character, garnering slots for
both of these photos on the main page

I wanted to show the whole process of falling down, but didn't have room

The littles ones, even though they were still nursing, also ate grass and were mastering the art of clam-digging.

Working on a meal; Photo: Scott Stevens

But, clamming often turned into play: Photos: Scott Stevens

I even saw the adventurous cub try to chase a Glaucous-winged Gull, but the big bird scared the cub and it ran back to mom.

She was always there to protect, even from imaginary foes

When it was time to go, Crimped Ear gathered the little ones and marched them down the beach, sometime making them swim across the creek.

Walking after a swim; Top photos: Scott Stevens

The trio was so much fun to photograph and we had so many good pictures. You should be glad I didn't show you all of them.

All three of these are on the main page; Left photo: Scott Stevens

But, I am out of photos and it is time to go.

I considered this for the back page, but decided to go another direction

This one, too

Next month, we'll see some gorgeous fall foliage.

We'll be going to the Great Smoky Mountains among other places; Photo: Scott Stevens