It was s drizzly fall morning, but at one point (see photo) there were more than a dozen people around the pond admiring the visitor. S/he did not seem to mind, but kept right at work diving for delicacies, popping up to the surface, looking around, then diving some more.

Dori later provided some interesting otter facts — they can stay under water for up to 8 minutes at a time, and individuals can live up to 14 years in the wild. So, this may indeed have been the same otter who delighted us in the pond 3 years ago, a visit which led to the name now on our sign — Otter Pond.

That changed yesterday. Mid-morning, Suzy came to our door to announce that a turtle had just strolled across Steele Road in the middle of our neighborhood. (I became keenly aware of another benefit of keeping cars out!) By the time I got out to take a look, it was making its way through the grass.

In hopes that this one would stick around, I violated various rules of animal etiquette by relocating the turtle a few hundred feet down the road, placing it at the edge of our pond, which seems to me a good place for amphibious creatures.

The turtle immediately dove — really dove — into the water. It appeared so eager to get away from me that the moment I placed it on the ground, it practically jumped into the water and quickly swam deep down into the pond, disappearing from sight. I stayed by the water for some time, but couldn’t relocate it again. So, today I was happy to see the turtle sunning on the edge of the pond, and when I went to take a closer look, it (of course) leapt back into the water. I’m hoping it’ll stick around.

It was incredible. The trees and bushes were practically dripping with birds.

There were a lot of different kinds of fall warblers that I just couldn’t identify — I’m way out of practice, and they’re hard to get anyway. I do know there were many yellow-rumped warblers, at least a couple northern parulas, common yellowthroat, and palm warblers. There were big numbers of adolescent and adult cedar waxwings, and a bunch of gangly young robins (and adults). I briefly saw a grosbeak (the big beak unmistakable) and eventually figured out it was a first-year or female red-breasted grosbeak.

Also caught brief views of a yellow-bellied sapsucker, a bird I’ve seen only rarely anywhere and never before here at Nubi. And just after returning indoors, I looked out the window and saw an osprey soaring, then tucking its wings and heading southward. The sapsucker and osprey bring my Nubi list up to 85 species so far.

If only I could get some expert help identifying all those fall warblers (and sparrows), I’m sure the list would surpass 100 pretty quickly.

In the afternoon, we went for a snowshoe walk in the neighborhood woods and saw Wild Turkey tracks (pretty comical looking, really). And early this morning, Dori called to point out that mixed in with the Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches at her feeder are some Common Redpolls (despite the name, a not-so-common bird for me). Lots of wonderful winter bird activity! And spring is just around the corner….

The otter has been amazingly unperturbed by the humans gawking from nearby. A few neighbors gathered to watch and stayed long enough for the kids to elaborately introduce our new pavement to the art of chalk drawing. And Sue snuck right up to the pond’s edge to take some photos of the otter — one of which I’m posting here. A little later, I was able to get close to the pond and take some photos too, with the otter barely lifting its head from the rock where it was lying, appearing unconcerned as I approached. (The otter was strategically on a rock surrounded by water, and perhaps it noticed that I wasn’t wearing a swimsuit.)

Some of us have been thinking the pond needs a good name, and this morning, a few of the kids came up with an excellent idea –Otter Pond. Works for me.

It was quite a morning for wildlife. From neighbors gathered to watch the otter, we learned that a female moose had been meandering earlier this morning through the hayfield across from the Steele Rd entrance to the neighborhood.

And a monarch butterfly emerged from its chrysalis this morning in our dining room. Lila had caught the caterpillar a few weeks ago during a Nubi Explorers outing, and it had formed a chrysalis a couple weeks ago. The butterfly is drying its wings just outside our back door now, and we’re hoping it’ll soon be on its way to Mexico.

They didn’t seem to notice me (or maybe just didn’t care), so I approached to within about 10 feet and followed them for a bit. At one point, the adult (presumably the mother) stopped and sort of sat back, lifting the front of her body up and looking around. The little one clambered up to her, pushed its nose into her belly and, much to my amazement, seemed to be nursing.

Prickly and tender at the same time. Awesome!