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<\/a>Muskrat and beaver<\/p><\/div>\n
As the morning unfolded, we also gained perspective into the relationship between these two.\u00a0 The beaver slid into the water and disappeared, leaving the muskrat on the log.\u00a0 Then the mink appeared, upstream to the west near a fallen log.\u00a0 It walked downstream, on the ice, to the newer of the two “beaver deceivers.”<\/p>\n
<\/a>Mink near the “beaver deceiver” intake<\/p><\/div>\n
The mink slipped back under the ice.\u00a0 When I looked back at the log near the beaver dam, the muskrat had (wisely) disappeared, but the beaver was back.\u00a0 Then the muskrat crawled out of the water to join the beaver on the log, slipped back in the water, and then swiftly got back on the log behind the beaver.<\/p>\n
At this point, my better half spotted a winter wren hopping around the dam.\u00a0 I switched my attention to the bird.\u00a0 Here’s the best shot I could manage:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Winter wren<\/p><\/div>\n
When I looked back up again, the mink had reappeared near the intake to the original beaver deceiver.\u00a0 Then it slipped back under the ice, swam upstream, and reappeared near the log where the beaver and muskrat had been.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Mink<\/p><\/div>\n
Then the beaver popped up behind the mink:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Beaver popping up behind mink<\/p><\/div>\n
And then the beaver moved closer and stopped:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Beaver parked behind mink<\/p><\/div>\n
The mink dove:<\/p>\n
Almost immediately, a muskrat popped up downstream in front of the log.\u00a0 The beaver watched it swim by:<\/p>\n But then the muskrat turned back, climbed on a log, and the two faced each other:<\/p>\n Muskrat and beaver looking at each other<\/p><\/div>\n The beaver submerged, leaving the muskrat on the log.\u00a0 The mink reappeared upstream.\u00a0 It walked across the ice to the north bank:<\/p>\n Mink<\/p><\/div>\n By this time, the beaver had taken up a spot in front of the dam with a clear view of activity upstream.<\/p>\n Beaver in front of dam<\/p><\/div>\n And the muskrat stayed on the log, close to the south bank, and chewed a few twigs:<\/p>\n Muskrat<\/p><\/div>\n There seeming to be equilibrium, we continued on our walk.\u00a0 My better half, star spotter of the day, picked out this female common goldeneye:<\/p>\n Common goldeneye<\/p><\/div>\n We saw a female belted kingfisher and a few mallards.\u00a0 At the pond that never freezes, Canada geese had taken over from the mallards:<\/p>\n Canada geese<\/p><\/div>\n A song sparrow was noisily flitting along the eastern edge of the pond that never freezes.<\/p>\n As we made our way back toward the bridge, approaching from the east, we saw lots of beaver slide\/drag marks between Bear Creek and the woods to the north.<\/p>\n Back at the dam, the mink was peeking out, seeing if the coast was clear:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>