Another nice day paddle

[gumpus]

My first time on the Paw Paw river this year. I heard turtles plopping and Sandhill cranes overhead. I saw 4-5 whitetails bounding away from me with bright white butts and vertical tails. I saw two different squirrels crossing the river on leaning trees that made a natural bridge that barely touched in the middle.

I saw a lot of impressive new beaver activity since last Fall. It is so cool to see how much progress they can make so quickly to alter the environment.


Some kind of white bird. They usually don't let me get so close.

Saw lots of ducks and Canada geese. The geese on the river screamed at me but the ones with chicks and the ones with good hiding places were silent.

I saw lots of stuff hanging high in trees from floods in recent years.


Check out the new beaver lodge in front of the old abandoned water wheel.

And its it's quite a treat just to spend a little time in the enchanted forest.

 

[PaddlingPitt]

Gumpus,

I think that some kind of white bird is an egret. I’m not a good of enough birder to know which species.

 

[Mzungu]

Wow, you guys are way ahead of us. It always amazes me how little distance south one can go yet see such a change in budding/leafing of trees and nesting/hatching times. Even last week we still had some migratory birds passing through and a lot of nesting birds in the area were just getting started. I haven’t seen/heard a single turtle yet!

That big white bird looks like a Great Egret, judging by what looks like yellow on the beak and assumed size. Such a cool sighting.