On the local front

Needless to say, with all that is happening in the world, this is small potatoes. But on a local scene, it is distressing. Even if we recognise that nature comes first and it is an artificial pond, it is still disturbing to watch a beaver do what it is genetically programmed to do: chew down trees.

This beautiful birch tree was still standing last night. This morning at breakfast, one of our guests said that there had been destruction overnight and that there now was a tree lying in the pond. So after our guests left, I went down to the pond and there was one of Compa's favourite birches felled by the beaver. Also missing were two birches from the spit that sticks into the pond.

Here's another view of the birch tree, from the butt end. Its leaves are lying in the pond.

I thought this crabapple was going to escape chomping but it has not been spared. Once the critter has finished chomping down all the surrounding birches, it will fell this tree too and then there will be no trees near the pond.

This is blurry but here is the culprit, a young beaver, swimming around in our pond.

And here is its lodge, made from the trees that it has destroyed.