Encounters With Otters & Beavers
Curious Otter
Last year I had an encounter with a curious otter. On Monday I had an encounter with a beaver.
I was near the delta of Lower Pine Creek that empties into Lake Pepin. I wanted to get to the beach but was blocked by high water. I could have reached the beach if I’d had wellies. I’ve I had made it to the beach, I wouldn’t have had the encounter with the beaver.
I saw a swimming mammal in the creek. I wasn’t sure if it was a muskrat or a beaver. I decided it was a muskrat because I didn’t think it was big enough for a beaver. I was wearing camo and didn’t think the animal saw me. As soon as I moved, it spanked its tail on the water and dove. So it was a beaver. The beaver hung around and occasionally slapped. When the sun was on the horizon, the beaver swam within 20 feet of me and started slapping repeatedly. Was it warning me away? Maybe I was near a den with kits. Was it a youngster that was practicing; maybe just having fun? I don’t know. I’ve read books about beavers and have never read about such behavior.
Because I couldn’t get to the beach, I had to shoot the sunset through a railroad bridge. When I was there, a long train thundered by. The birds and the beavers ignored it. I guess it was part of their environment. The bridge and the bare, tree branches appear as silhouettes in my photo; a good thing because the bridge is showing its age and is not very attrative (somewhat like myself.)
