Yellow Bird Day - Bantam

I intended to put in at the bottom of the lake and paddle up to and into the Bantam River.  But, the wind was not in agreement with the weather forecast being something double the predicted 8 mph, with gusts on top of that, and I did not fancy paddling up a rather ordinary lake, especially with the possibility of worse conditions on the return.  I diverted to a rough launch right on the river.

I headed downriver toward the lake.  Right away spooked some Wood Ducks and a Green Heron, but it was the yellow birds that were dominating.  These were all probably Warblers and while my yellow bird identification skills rarely get exercise, the first one that I photographed was obviously a Yellow Warbler, which is the most yellow of all the Warblers.

This is a 3 ft tall scent mound, It is not a lodge.

It still amazes me how many beaver lodges are on this river.  Half of them are large - 20 feet in diamter at the water level and 5 feet high.  It was also scent-mound-o-rama with dozens and dozens of the dirt mounds everywhere, and when you figure in the number of beaver drags, peel sticks and feed spots, if anyone ever wanted to learn about beaver, this would be a good place to begin.  I surprise a large beaver near one of the large lodges.  It dives before I can get a photo, and with the lodge just 20 feet away, I am sure it will not resurface.  

Butternut Brook

Water snake sunning on an abandoned beaver lodge

I cross a known and well-built beaver dam just before the lake.  Then, I follow the shoreline east, rounding a point and heading into the outflowing reach of the Bantam.  I take a run up Butternut Brook almost to the first road crossing, and then down the Bantam to the human-built dam.  This area is all new to me and I am very happy to spend the time here instead of crossing a rather ordinary lake.  I definitely want to go farther up Butternut Brook next time.

This is beaver poo.  About 2 inches across. Lots of roughage!

With that, I retrace my route.