Mountain Living - April 2016
Bears are in the neighborhood!
Lions and Tigers, and Bears , Oh My! Yes, bears have been reported over the last few weeks in Junaluska Highlands. Evidence of bird feeders being emptied and garbage cans being overturned has been observed by several residents in our community. Most likely our new omnivore residents are black bears. These black bears have black coats with brown muzzles and may have a spot of white on the chest known as chest blaze and may weigh anywhere from 200 to 700 pounds. They typically feed on anything from acorns, berries, fish, frogs, peanuts and seeds and have no natural predators. Normally, black bears come out of hibernation around the first part of April. However, this year, due perhaps to the mild winter, the bears came out of hibernation about mid-March. The N.C. Wildlife commission reports bears are more active this year and have a larger number of cubs being born. Bears are typically nocturnal, but have been seen in our community in the early dawn and late dusk hours. They tend to be shy and non-aggressive to humans and have somewhat poor eyesight and largely depend on their sense of smell and hearing to forage for food and can run up to 35MPH for short distances. Care should be taken when out walking pets, especially in the evening, and if a bear is encountered you should back away slowly and make lots of noise and avoid eye contact. Garbage cans should be tightly secured and bird feeders brought in at night to avoid an unwanted visitor on the deck at night.
Over the next several weeks Duke Energy will be relamping our community with new LED fixtures and lamps on our streets, replacing the existing 200 watt high pressure sodium lamps. We will be using the 150 watt LED lamps on Breckenridge Road, Fincher Mountain Road, and Montrose Lane, with 105 watt LED lamps for the balance of the neighborhood where the poles are closer to homes. The new LED lamps will provide a warmer, safer light pattern and will save us between 12% and 33% in annual energy costs, depending on wattage.
Next month we will be scheduling our annual Junaluska Highlands community beautification work day. We will be freshening up our flower beds with new much, planting annuals, and clearing limbs. We generally work half a day and then enjoy a neighborhood cook out at the pavilion around noon. It is a great opportunity to meet and reacquaint ourselves with our neighbors and help tidy up the area. More information and the exact date to be provided in next month’s message.
Finally, don’t forget to clean and put out humming bird feeders now to attract the early scouts that are sent each year out to find the best nesting and feeding areas for the rest of the charm. In our area we have the ruby throated hummingbirds which have be over wintering in Mexico, Cuba, and parts of South America. They are a thrill to watch in the tiny bird’s aerial techniques around the feeders and are among the many welcomed forms of wildlife in Junaluska Highlands.
Mac
