December Birds on Beaver Creek Lake

geese resting on the water, three geese flying, a flock of geese, a mallard and its wake in the water

Lone Swan Visits Beaver Creek Lake

Today, Sunday, November 9th, a lone white swan sailed around Beaver Creek Lake in the brilliant sunshine under a blue blue sky.

No one at the lake had seen a swan visit before. There are two swans at Lake Pine. And several swans I hear near Whole Foods at Tryon and Kildaire Farm Road. But this is the first time we'd seen a swan here.

"He won't stay long," several people said, "not when the Canadian Geese return after their daily forrays. There are over 250 geese who make this little lake their home. Too many one resident says. Hopefully some will split off and find another home.

Guerrilla Gardening?

Next to Apex Peakway at Highway 55, at Beaver Creek Lake, there is at least one corn plant growing next to a field of weeds (wild plants). And next to the lake itself is a squash plant? Out in Arizona, I learned that there is a practice of guerrilla gardening, where one drops seeds, seemingly randomly on property that is not yours, but is not otherwise being used. Then one can casually cultivate the crop without attracting attention.



Here's one site on the topic of Guerrilla Gardening.

A Brown Necked Canadian Goose

In the past week we've noticed a brown necked Canadian Goose, as if it were a mix with a kind of gray goose. It alone has this coloring in the flock.









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The Beaver!

Today for the very first time, we saw the beaver.

In five months of walking at Beaver Creek Lake, there was no sign of him/her, except a few months ago, seeing the sapling birches cut off at the knee.

Don't know if there is just one. This one didn't look too happy - not that beavers look happy normally - but maybe they do. He/she didn't seem to travel any faster because we were walking by, just seemed steady on its course to the Peakway bridge, on the other side of which is its nest.

On the other side of the lake, we met a man with his rescued golden retriever. I mentioned we'd seen the beaver, and he sounded concerned. "I don't think he'll be able to do much damage now that the birches have wire around their trunks."

It's a sad feeling to imagine this little wild creature surrounded by roads and houses, trying to survive. Almost wish it could be removed safely and taken out to Jordan lake, but certainly not killed.

Tonight, on the exit ramp at 64 West, just after Laura Duncan Road, a young deer lay by the roadside. There still are deer in this now all to urbanized area, and they still are dying on the roads. Wish there was a way to handle this without so much harm to the wildlife whose land this was, in some cases only just months ago.

Raindrops on a Leaf Stem

The Kildeer - Three of them

At least three Kildeer birds are now hanging around the grass lawns on the other side of Route 55, on Apex Peakway, across the street from the WakeMed HealthPlex.

I searched the areas where they were wandering about, but didn't find a nest.

The Duck Family

Six vivacious ducklings, staying very close to Mom, one less than on an earlier visit.




As my dog wandered off the path towards them, the little ones peeped in alarm and scurried into the water.

The Lake is Full Again

After a week of rains, Beaver Creek Lake is full again. All the mud is covered.

From the Peakway parking lot entrance looking towards the Peakway Bridge - we could call it Beaver's Dam Bridge since that's where the Beaver's dam is, the water covers all the lake bottom now.


Across the Beaver's Bridge looking out towards the berm facing Route 55. The lake is full!


This morning, the geese were in the Peakway parking area eating grass.

The Geese

Lakeside Gardens

One of a number of sunflowers!



Voluptuous blossoming bush and bench.


Two almost completely camouflaged morning doves on the lower landing of this deck. A fountain lies behind the greens.


A bird's paradise, bluebird nest, seed feeder, hummingbird feeder.

The Lake is Filling Up

The white pipes that helped drain some of the lake water, at the far side of the lake (closer to Haddon Hall subdivision - see far side of picture below) are now gone. The lake levels have now recovered about half of the ground that was exposed with the landscaping work done mostly on the lake side in this picture below.

No Geese on the Lake this Morning

Not a goose on the lake this morning, just a group of mallards by the Peakway Bridge, and a new mallard family of 7 little ones by the hillside bridge.

It was a gray day, but even gray days have their beauty. Normal if this were the British Isles or Washington State, but not so normal for the Carolina Blue skies of North Carolina.

A New Mallard Family

Another new mallard family - this one with 7 little ones.
Click on the images to see the full size detail.

Loners: A Goose and a Mallard

Water Rippling in the Breeze

Turtle

Geese Sleeping in Bunches

Afternoon Sun on the Lake

Straw was placed on either side of the path.


Looking out over the lake from the Peakway bridge, the water level is still low. All this was under water before the work began on the lake.




The townhomes shine brightly in the Western sunlight.

Ducklings in June

A new family of mallards.


Swimming among the Canadian Geese.

The Guard Goose

There's always at least one goose keeping an eye out for all the other geese while they are eating.

After the bird bath...