The Beaver and the Eagle.

Once the ice melted on our lake last weekend, all kinds of creatures started showing up.  Here are 2 animals, both back from the fall from what I can tell.  The first visitor is the beaver and it is nice to see him again!

Here is the beaver showing up his backside & tail on my neighbour's lawn.  He appeared last weekend and swims by in the early morning and at sunset.  On this trip he swam in and out of everyone's waterfront ~ maybe to check on the availability of wood?  This is the same backyard that he (or his predecessor) cut down a willow tree 2 years ago.

He was busy in this spot for a few minutes then he left.  His next destination....

 

 

 

....over to our place.

That's our dock; it took quite a beating this winter and some repairs have to be made.  Next winter I think it'll be pulled out along with the raft.

 

 

Our backyard certainly didn't excite him!

He didn't stay at all, just circled and left right away.  The final picture of him below, is of him heading on his merry way down the lakeside.

 

 

Some neighbours further down couldn't resist throwing a rock or branch in the water after him...but that didn't set well with the beaver at all!

He slapped his tail, hard, on the water and it kicked up a lot of splashing!  He swam right up to their shore and smacked his tail on the water surface again and then again as he swam off.  He didn't appear to be afraid of them either!

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Here is the Bald Eagle, landing on the beaver's dam.

Maybe this is what persuaded the beaver to come out for spring?  An eagle landing on MY roof would surely do the trick!  I wonder if this is the same eagle who parked himself in that very spot last fall?

The eagle was scouring the lake for fish and when he caught one, he'd fly off to the tree below and eat it, before returning for another one.  After a while though he was joined by other birds.

These weren't your happy neighbours though, in fact they ganged up on him and drove him from this tree.

 

 

 

Here is the eagle and another bird in flight.  The bird in the back

was swooping and dive-bombing the eagle so it wasn't a pleasant afternoon tete-a-tete between these two birds!

 

 

 

After various flocks of birds harassed him in the air the eagle landed on this tree across the lake, presumably for a rest.  One brave (or stupid) bird joined him, continuing to bother the eagle with his cries and screeches.

Here the eagle is peering up at his unfriendly neighbour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You would think a smaller bird would have a healthy respect for the beak and claws of the eagle - when he stretched his wings out the span was mighty impressive from my side of the lake!

Not so this black bird.  I suspect the birds were defending their nests and territories.  The eagle had to keep an eye out for this fellow and sure enough, he left after I took this picture.

Here he is seen leaving our lake.  Personally I wouldn't have minded that annoying black bird leaving and the eagle staying, but no one asked me!