Draper, UT has a small bit of marshland that is very popular with the birds. It’s in the middle of a residential area, so it serves as a nice area for people to walk and there’s even a small pond for fishing.
Spring was in full swing last week. The Red-Winged Blackbirds were singing, the Black-Billed Magpies were calling and the Canada Geese were nesting.
I suspected that the goose was nesting and then got confirmation when these obnoxious people took their dogs off their leashes and the dogs forced the goose off the eggs. We stayed very far away from the eggs, I would never risk interfering with nesting for the sake of pictures. These pictures only look close because I’m using a 500 mm lens.
They’re very large eggs. At least twice as large as chickens. The geese came back to the nest once the horrible dogs walked away.
We actually have a lots of Canada Geese in Utah. I even see them flying over the house sometimes.
Do you want to see some flying pictures? I have tons.
How about from the side?
Or perhaps in flight, with the primary wing feathers tipped up at the edges.
The Draper marshes also had a swimming animal. Is this an otter?
Update: wise people in the comments have pointed out that this is actually a beaver, so I will stop referring to him as an otter. Thanks Mom and Tiffany! I can tell you about birds, but I am completely out of my element with mammals.
He almost looks like he’s smiling, though, doesn’t he?
Not positive, but I think that’s a beaver. Only beavers build dams (AFAIK). We have beavers on our shoreline near John’s canoe. They are very territorial and will slap the water with their tail if we are out and about during their breeding season. It’s very loud – sounds like a body fell in the lake in the dark…
https://web.gsc.edu/fs/jhamilton/tumblingcreek/beaverpond/beaverpond.htm
Oh, okay! He does look more like those pictures than the otter pictures I found at Wikipedia.
Keep your dogs on a leash people! Amazing photos from so far away; I love how her nest is lined with down. And yes, that’s a beaver; you’re going to have to look for it’s den!
Thanks Tiffany! I should go back soon to find baby geese! I can look for the dam then. I don’t understand why the beaver is building a dam in such a tiny pond, but whatever makes him happy.