It’s been a great weekend for wildlife at the cabin. We spotted the otters cavorting in the lake yesterday, the first time Andrew and the kids have seen them. They were leaping and diving in the west bay, near the old beaver lodge. We got quite close to them in the canoe, and could clearly hear them chittering. Very exciting!

The loons are present as always, though they’ve kept their distance. Their calls, especially after dark, are as haunting and beautiful as ever. We also spotted a bald eagle on the island, along with a kingfisher and a smaller bird of prey, a kestrel perhaps? Some sort of white crane or heron flew low across the water too.

Beneath the surface we spotted a perch, plenty of minnows, a turtle, and lots of frogs and leeches along the marshy shoreline. Griffin loves the leeches and catches them with ease. He’s inspired us to be less concerned about them. They’re slow to attach, painless, easy to remove, and harmless. (Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, leeches rarely harbor anything harmful to humans since they primarily feed on amphibians.) I’ll take them over all the other bloodsucking pests.

During our swim yesterday we also found a sizable rib, probably from a deer.

Finally, we learned recently that there is a northern flying squirrel nesting near the cabin! They are nocturnal, so we haven’t spotted her, but Jeff saw her on his last visit. Her distinctive voice is quite noticeable just after sunset.

Enjoy a few photos below of some migratory mammals we’ve seen quite a bit of.