Just to make you smile

I have no real story to tell here, just two videos that I can’t resist showing you, both taken on our beaver pond in February. The first shows otters playing again; watch carefully and keep counting heads:

I hope you counted up to four! The most I have ever seen together on our pond. They could be a mother and three cubs from last year (litters range from 1-3), but otter ranges overlap, and there is no way to be certain of their relationship. If they are her cubs, they will be leaving any time now..

The second video shows only one otter, behaving very oddly. I took me a while to realize what was going on:

There is a second otter in the water, visible only in the occasional glimpse, and the one on the ice is throwing itself on top of its sibling (a guess) and having a wonderful time.

To finish, while I was away in England a friend, Pamela Marshall, took a lovely photo of three of the otters that she has generously allowed me to share:

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Now, on the last day of March, there is still snow on the ground, but the ice has almost completely melted, and although I saw an otter, it was just a glimpse of a sleek dark brown shape in the dark brown water. To make up, I saw my first pair of Hooded Mergansers. Spring is nigh!