[BCNnet] North Pond Beaver

[birdperson@juno.com]

Bird People:
 
There's an unusual migrant at the North Pond, and it's not a bird.

This afternoon, while birding the pond with John Purcell, I spotted a large, brown,lump in the open water near the shoreline (most of the pond is now covered with ice).  What at first looked like an emergent tree stump suddenly disappeared under the water and resurfaced a short distance away, contentedly chomping on a piece of wood - a large beaver!

To our knowledge, beavers have not shown up at the North Pond before. The animal may have reached the pond via Lake Michigan and Diversey Harbor. It could have easily bypassed Lake Shore Drive by swimming underneath it through the small channel that connects the harbor to the lake.      

As we continued around the pond, we were dismayed to see much evidence of fresh gnawing on many of the shoreline trees, especially on the east side near the large generator that powers the aerators. It doesn't seem like the beaver has been here long, maybe a few days.  John says they did not see it or any evidence of the tree damage last Wednesday, on the North Pond bird walk led by Geoff Williamson.

While it's exciting to see new wildlife in our urban landscape, for a small, enclosed habitat like the North Pond the beaver's arrival may not be such good news.  It has been reported to the Park District and the North Pond Conservation Council (NPCC), the community group primarily working with the Park District to ecologically restore and steward the pond.   Birders' can help monitor the beaver and the effect it is having on the pond's habitat.  If you have any sightings or information, please send them to Susan Fargo, Chair of NPCC, at fargo2@prodigy.net. 
 
The North Pond is located in Lincoln Park on the near north side of Chicago, Cook County, at the intersections of Fullerton Avenue, Cannon Drive, and Stockton Drive.

 
/Leslie Borns
birdperson@juno.com
Chicago/Cook 
 
 




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