Wednesday, August 10, 2022

May and June at the Bear Wallow

What I call the Bear Wallow is a seasonal pool (often called a vernal pool) in the Big Woods that occupies a pingo scar. It’s a place where frogs and salamanders breed; seasonal pools don’t have any fish because they frequently dry up in the summer so the amphibians don’t have to deal with predatory fish.

Seasonal pools attract a lot of wildlife – from small amphibians to the largest local species, the black bear. The bear wallow attracted a fair amount of wildlife of various species, but fewer bears than in past years. We had very little rain in June and so the pool had shrunken significantly.

Here are the best of the videos from my camera trap at the bear wallow for the months of May and June –

July saw virtually no rain and the pool continued to diminish in size but the camera will remain in place. The bear wallow may dry completely before fall rains and winter snows fill it once again.

4 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

That is amazing how it shrinks to nearly nothing! Great critters!

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
The Wood Ducks found a happy spot. Love the Black Bear and cute deer. the Bobcat images are awesome, cool critters. Great video. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You show us the neatest videos. Here in the far South...we call them wallers though! lol Enjoy your weekend!

Yvonne said...

I've heard of vernal pools before, but it's nice to see one in action. So many visitors. It is a popular place with wildlife.