After a long winter, the forest comes back to life in late spring. Everywhere you look, signs of new life abound and of course the young of each species create a special attraction for us. This happened to me, when I stumbled across this cow-moose with her month-old calf last week.
I encountered the two enjoying a leisurely swim in Archer’s Marsh. Positioned on the bank of the creek overlooking the entire marsh, the moose did not take any notice of me, and I observed the goings on for the better part of half an hour. While swatting flies I also took photos in the process, which I want to share with you.
After a few rounds in the water, the calf obviously had enough, headed for shore and called “mom” with these unique, moose-like, nasal squeals. But the cow was barely interested and instead enjoyed the lush aquatic vegetation along the bank, enjoying the spring-cold water in the process. Eventually the calf ventured off on its own, which prompted “mom” to utter some grunts. These made the calf return to the bank, half-heartedly though. It took another few minutes before the cow could be convinced to leave the cool of the water and return to the fly-infested meadow. If you look closely, you can see a few dozen flies on the cow’s nose. Then, with no worry in the world, the two scampered, across fallen logs and through little creeks, towards the nearby forest, in which they vanished.