The First Signs of Spring on the Pond

Most people look for a green sprout of some kind as the first signs of spring, but not me.  As I walked the pond trail yesterday, I realized spring was officially here when I checked out the culvert to see if the beavers have started their post-winter attempts to block the outflow.  

As you can see here, they have forced a few branches into the culvert, but most the grass and mud they piled on has washed away and water is flowing freely. Even if they eventually manage to slow the flow, the other two culverts are completely clear. With very little maintenance, I hope to have a clog free season.

I'm pleased to say that the culvert protection cage has survived the winter intact. A few of the nylon tie-downs that hold the cage to the fence post have broken, but they are simple to fix.

As you may know, beavers are a keystone species and their presence is responsible for the appearance of many other types of pond life, but some "animals" were around long before the beavers.  As I walked the perimeter and headed up to the leach field, I noticed a rock formation that I had seen many times before.  This time I viewed it with different eyes.  First it looked to me like a stone whale breaching the topsoil.  Upon further inspection l saw a stone hippo lifting his head out of the topsoil.

It is just my over active imagination, or do you see it too?