It was a pleasant surprise to see two American black ducks busy in the river by the boardwalk during a recent visit. They were absent for months.
Part of the river was in the shade and it was difficult to see the ducks on the black water. My husband and I watched them for a time and they came into the light long enough for us to take some photos.
These are dabbling ducks. They do not dive but rather dip their heads underwater in a "bottoms up" motion to feed near or on the surface.
They are also know as puddle ducks, frequenting rivers and marshes rather than large bodies of water.
We were not as successful taking a photo of the beaver who shared the river with the ducks. There were beavers in this area early last year but the city moved them. They dammed a stream which flows into the river and cut many trees from the greenbelt in the process. Beavers have powerful jaws and teeth as testified by the stump which remains along the trail.
There is at least one beaver here again.
The beaver swam with its head just above the surface of the water but dived often, making it hard to find it again when it re-surfaced. I enjoy seeing beavers in the area, though I imagine it will be a short stay.
The variety of wildlife makes the boardwalk such a lovely place for a walk.