Vandal hits nestbox

I thought about it. I knew better. I did it anyway. I put a nestbox on a living black poplar because I didn't want to prune limbs from a nearby spruce tree. I thought, it's pretty unlikely the beavers will come all the way down to this end of the lake just to cut down one little tree. Ha! A lot I know. As you've guessed by now, the beavers cut down that poplar. They chopped up the tree and ate every last bit of the twigs and bark. Donna LeLacheur called today and said she and Jodi Archibald had fished the waterlogged box, still attached to the remains of the beaver's feast, out of the lake and would I like to come and pick it up. Thanks for helping out and yes I would. The box is now at home drying out before I put it up again. And this time it won't be on a deciduous tree!

The waterfowl have returned to Maxwell Lake. This evening there were a pair each of American widgeon, bufflehead, and common goldeneye on the lake. The goldeneye and bufflehead are the target species for the nest boxes. It's ironic that the ducks arrived on the same day the vandals struck. Oh well, these vandals were just after a square meal. Or maybe they don't like ducks for neighbours.