Baby Beaver and other Wildlife

 Our summer trip took us North to the top of WA's Olympic Peninsula and back. This beaver mom & her kit were in Lake Tahoe where we visited on the way home. Beaver are often seen in such low light situations that they are difficult to capture, so seeing this duo at all was special and then having light enough to shoot was an unexpected opportunity.

We saw wonderful wildlife from insects to mammals and had fun exploring their habitat whether it was a refuge, national park or out the back door of the restaurant where we saw the beavers.

Crows are not favored by some folks, but I find them often interesting. This guy landed nearby and was not intimidated by me or the camera. If you unpack the reflection in the eye that triangulation might be your destiny!

 

 Waders, waiters, these Great Blue Herons are never many at a time, but I've seen them in many places and most often waiting. This fellow was catching tiny fish quite often, so there was more movement than usual.

 Far as I know, this is the only animal who's common name begins with Killer and I don't suppose it means a great lover. These are rare in our home waters so it was a treat to go whale watching and see whales we don't usually. The family of three were feeding along the shore in near Friday Harbor in the San Juans. We were happy to not see what the prey was.

 Another seldom seen critter and you can guess the reason when you spot that moss covered shell. Here it contrasts with the surround plant matter, but often it matches up with the other growth nicely. The nearby frog was one of several that were much less visible, but once we picked out the eyes we learned to find several matching pairs.

This group of photos features all water critters and in the NW that is fitting as we visited many watery habitats and have enjoyed the National Wildlife Refuges for quiet places to visit and learn about local natural history.