WHAT DID WE SEE AT THE POND?

North American Beaver!

Our little friend Seraphina (from yesterday's post) had been looking in this direction.  Lily pads were covering a good part of the pond.  It grows considerably each year and the petals close up in the evening.  In the center, after adjusting our eyes, we finally saw movement.

Another furry friend was having a feast of water lily shoots.   At other times we have watched them dive and resurface a couple of minutes later, with those shoots between their claws.  

This is the beaver we saw for the first time a few weeks ago.  They had been absent for two or three years, and rumor had it that they had been removed.  I don't know if this was true, but their lodge was nowhere to be seen and every time we visited, we looked for these industrious little animals to no avail.  Other visitors we talked to had wondered the same thing.  In the photo below you can make out that famous 'paddle' tail. There is a reed on it.

Happiness for everyone I spoke to, on our previous visit and this one, to find them back at the pond.  Our North American Beaver had returned, not only one but three others.  There was a mate and two babies.  People told us they had seen the babies, but we saw the parents and that was wonderful.  The mother is considerably smaller than the male we were told by a knowledgeable man who had been taking photos also.

This fellow photographer was very generous with his information.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  There will be another post on our encounter as soon as I can put it together.  Enjoy your weekend!