Green heads and grey

Spring has come to Cougar Creek, and the beavers have been busy, building habitat. We went down to take a look at the progress.

Here is the map from last March:


In that light green oval, the little pond they had started is now deeper and wider, no longer just a widening in the creek.


They are working on a homestead dam at the outlet, and have been enthusiastically felling trees up and down the creek. At the entrance to the main ponds, a stack of building materials provided a sunning spot for a large turtle. He posed nicely for us, raising his head to display the yellow striped chin.


The resident heron was not so co-operative.


After half a dozen photos of the branches, with a blurry grey mass behind, I finally managed to focus.

So he up and left.


He's camera shy.


This bathing mallard wasn't.


Nor was the widgeon.

The mergansers have gone, so has the cormorant. But the mallards are parading up and down the ponds, in pairs.




And over on the far side, -- oh, joy! -- a new, younger heron was fishing. And not in the least shy.

Heron and widgeon

Stalking, one slow step at a time

Gotcha!

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