An Otter Popped Up!

What a surprise it was to see this little guy come along. I had been driving along a nice little road which followed the lakes shore. As I drove past I couldn’t help notice the reflection of the birch trees in the still mirror like water in a small opening through a field. So I parked the car and walked through the grassy field to the shores edge. I only had zoom lens and didn't have a wide angel, but I decided to take four pictures of the scene and would later stitch them together. (Noting to myself to go back with my wide angle lens cuz it really is quite pretty) While I was there I was also looking around for wild life, and at first I didn't notice anything, not even birds, no duck, geese nada. Then all the sudden I looked up, and saw the cardinal in the tree above me. He hopped about on the braches as he checked me out, and then flew across the water to the little island right across from me. Then I noticed the female; they landed on a fallen log and looked so pretty together. Just a bit too far for a photo though. I stood there and just watched...I slowly started to notice a few other birds flying around but nothing that came close enough to capture. It was right as I was getting ready to go that I saw it. I saw a head moving through the water, at first I thought it was a beaver, it was a ways away, but was coming in my direction and swimming along the shores edge. I squatted to get low to the water and waited. He didn't see me, until the moment I took the picture. He heard my camera as I snapped the photo. I took him by surprise too. He stopped right there in front of me and popped his head up to look at me more closely, then sort of circled around and went on his way....soon after, so did I.