A set of shots taken a few winters ago when a young beaver set up a winter home in our pond. He had trouble finding enough to eat, but did manage to cut down a willow and some poplars (one of their favourite trees). That was fine by us, and we had wanted the willow removed to provide a better habitat for the tree swallows flying and feeding over the pond, but we couldn't bring ourselves to cut the tree down, so the beaver did it for us. In spring he left for better quarters, as the pond is much too small to support a beaver. We all hope that he survived and found a better place to live.

Here the beaver is heading down the slope to the the hole he made in the ice so that he could come and go in safety from the pond.