Brown Bear, Raven, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, AK #3365:

Bears and birds have a symbiotic relationship at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island. The brown bears catch the spawning salmon, drag the fish to shore to eat, and leave the scraps for the birds, mostly ravens and gulls. As the bears charge up and down the creek to catch their salmon they also stir up the creek bed, releasing the salmon eggs that gulls in particular love to feed on. The birds and bears mostly ignore each other but once in a while there is an interspecies connection. This bear and raven stood soundlessly for several minutes studying each other at complete ease. The raven gave up on the stare-down and hopped away. This photo illustrates the month of July in my Alaska 2021 Calendar. Both the 2021 Juneau and Alaska Calendars can be ordered at markkelley.com or purchased locally at Hearthside Books, Juneau Artist Gallery, Ben Franklin Store, Super Bear IGA, and Foodland IGA. Thank you for visiting and be well – Camera body: D700, Lens: Nikkor 500mm f/4 /digital capture/ISO 200 © Mark Kelley