On a quiet Wednesday morning in Paxton, Massachusetts, Monique Sheary was sipping her coffee when she realized she wasn’t alone. Out her front window, an unexpected — and very large — guest appeared.
“I had opened my front door, so just the glass door was there,” Sheary told The Dodo. “All of a sudden, I see this bear walk up the front steps of my porch.”
The curious bear stood tall on his hind legs, as if preparing to knock. But instead of greeting Sheary, he turned his attention to something far more tempting — the two hummingbird feeders hanging nearby.
“He gently started to drink from one of the feeders, then made his way to the other one,” Sheary said. “Such an awesome sight!”
Sheary grabbed her phone and recorded the unusual breakfast break. For nearly five minutes, the bear helped himself to the sugary nectar, calmly sipping as though he’d done it many times before.
When he’d had his fill, the bear turned back toward the yard. But before leaving, he seemed to glance at Sheary through the glass — a parting look that almost resembled a satisfied smile.
As surprising as the visit was, Sheary admitted it wasn’t her first. Every year or so, a bear wanders by and discovers her feeders.
“That’s when I know it’s time to take them down,” she explained. “We’re not purposely trying to attract bears. We’re trying to feed birds.”
Even so, Sheary doesn’t mind when her feathered feeders bring in furry visitors instead.
“They’ve broken a few feeders before, but we’re OK with that,” she said. “I absolutely am in awe of bears, and I’m happy to coexist with them.”
