Hi~

This morning up the trail in the Camels Hump State Forest, I stopped for a look at the beaver pond.  Last week at around 8 PM, I had seen 5 beavers at this spot and I had hoped to see some of them again.  I was not disappointed.  Proof that the Beaver is a Keystone species, I’ve seen a nice variety of birds at this pond:  Spotted Sandpipers, Mallards, Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, American Bittern, Northern Parula, Swamp Sparrow, Red-wingeds, Belted Kingfishers, Common Yellowthroat, Common Merganser, Northern Waterthrush, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (fallout during migration), Least Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher...

What I witnessed today involved “just Canada Geese,” but it ranked as one of the best shows ever!  Utilizing the lodge as a sort of time share, the female Canada Goose was sitting on the nest and the male goose was keeping guard nearby in the water.  Within seconds of my arrival, a  very large beaver came out of the water, carrying mud with its front legs.  It waddled on its back legs up the side of the lodge.  There was about 5 feet of space between the geese and the beaver, with the beaver in the middle.  (Both geese were watching the beaver very closely.) After placing the mud, it picked up an 8 foot long branch and maneuvered it into place.  A few times the branch (about 3 inches in diameter), nearly clocked the goose on the nest, which  took evasive action, ducking her head.  After the beaver made a few more attempts to place the branch, it entered the water, swam AT the male goose, creating a big wave capable of swamping a small boat, and then it smacked its tail on its dive.  The male goose swam around in a circle, looking down, as if it was trying to figure out where the beaver was.  The beaver popped up and repeated the swamping and smacking and the goose fluttered and hopped away. Now that is entertainment worth paying for!

Later, when I visited the pond on my way down, I could see two goslings on the nest with the parent.  More beneficiaries of the habitat made by the rodent!  No sign of the beaver.

Ali 
birding in Buells Gore
Huntington