Tag: beaver

Spring Has Sprung

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This week the pond officially entered the spring season.While birds have been chirping wildly for a week or so, on Tuesday, a pair of mallards arrived and skirted their way alongshore, as a sheet of ice still ran the inner length of the pond.

Wednesday morning the ice was gone, and I was able to capture the landing of two Canada geese. As I heard their honk in the distance, I readied myself to capture their flight and landing, hoping the pond was their destination. It always thrills me to see these landings. With much ado – honking and physical fanfare – they seem to tumble into a splashdown! Sometimes a dozen or so will land at once, leaving a wake of white water as they skid to a halt, following a canon-ball like splash. Ready as I was, the pictures are blurry. I forgot to set the camera for ‘sports action’. But, I think the blur adds to the comical event these landings are. Does it look as if there is a plan to the landing approach, or is it good luck tumble? Click on the pictures to view them in larger size. (Use your back arrow key to return to the post.) Soon, I hope to have perfected these action shots.

Yesterday, I watched a robin have a worm for breakfast, which makes me know the ground is thawing. And, I saw two tiny fish swim in the water! Not more than four inches in length,I had to wonder how they survive the frigid temperature of their habitat.

At day’s end, I think I saw the beaver. I hesitate to anticipate the delight I feel in watching this creature love the water. But, I know I saw something, glide smooth and steady for about fifteen feet, and then disappear into a little cave at water level on the far
side of the island. The ‘cave’ is nearly dead-center in the photo (click to enlarge and for better clarity).


I have no idea where beavers live. I know they make dams, they slap their tails on the water, and they gnaw on trees, but that’s about it. Although I suppose I have to include in my knowledge, the observations I recorded here of the beaver this time last year. I’ve mentioned in past posts that I don’t want to study any of the nature I observe for at least a season. And, if you look back to my ‘crater’ posts, you’ll be reminded that I am capable of speculation that is far off the mark. But, I’m wagering that beaver is in that hole. And, I’ll see it again. I remember from last year that it likes an early evening swim. So, I’ll be out looking at that time for the next several days.

A Beaver Arrives with the Spring

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Spring came early this year. Still, the pond water must have been frigid the day I first saw the beaver, floating on his back while the sun warmed his belly. When he flipped over I could see his gorgeous silken and shiny fur. He was bold and brazen, glaring at me, the newcomer to his turf, with his striking black eyes. He was also curious. He’d swim to within 20 feet of me, never breaking his gaze.

The first time I heard him slapped his tail it was a thrill for me as I’d only read about this – I’d never heard it before. The trees were still bare so there was no muffling of the ‘crack’. I thought it sounded much like a musket shot, which I have heard, several years ago when I and other guests fired one while staying at Battlefield B&B in Gettysburg.

He’d disappear under water after the slap. I was sure that his tail was giving a warning that I was near and that submerging was his way of protecting himself from me. But, as often as not, he’d resurface closer to me. I think this is when I first considered that I am as novel to the creatures of this setting as they are to me.

I was struck at how fast he could glide through the water, leaving a steady stream of ripples in his wake. And, I could almost feel how refreshing it must be to have the cool water pass through his coarse fur.

For three or four weeks, if I walked in early evening, I’d see him taking his end of day swim. He was playful and seemed to luxuriate in it. After 20 minutes or so in the icy water, he’d waddle up the shore of the small island that sits at one end of the pond, shown in the photo above. Sometimes he’d gnaw on a tree trunk. Other times he’d simply groom. It seemed to me he had a routine and I imagined the evening swim was his bedtime ritual, just one last bit of enjoyment at day’s end.

And then, after a few weeks, he was gone. I have since found that the creatures of the pond have their seasonal rhythm, one that I’m sure has been occurring since long before my arrival. I fully expect to see the beaver again, I just have to wait and see in which season he’ll next present himself.