NewBz and Unique Experience

So since my last post, we have not had any days of really nice sunny weather, I was hopping it would have stayed! I have a few new birds to report for the year. First of all, on Monday night myself and my dad, had our first American Woodcock of the year, "peent"'ing and doing flight displays. Though I haven't seen/heard'm since!
Also today, I went to A.W. Campbell Conservation Area in Alvinston to help out with setting up for some of the maple syrup festival that is tomorrow. On my way back from there, I noticed a unique bird fly across the road in front of me. A bird with a very pointed bill, and a fairly short tail with white outer rects. You guessed it, Eastern Meadowlark! Another new bird for the year. When I got home, I decided to go for a walk in the forest, also decided to go down to the neighbours property's for some birding as well. While I was down there, I was able to find a Swamp Sparrow foraging in a weedy/shrubby area. Also on my way back along the tracks, I found a nice Northern Shrike not to far away! Once I got back to the house I started thinking and realised that last year, within about a week of this time, on two different dates, I went down the neighbours following bear creek off our property and found multiple wood ducks, hooded mergansers, and  green-winged teal. I decided to take my dad down the creek for his first time. It is a really nice area to be in, and whilst we were walking down the river, we found 4 Wood Ducks (new for year), 2 Green-winged Teal, and 2 Hooded Mergansers. Same species as I found last year!
On our way back we saw a very unique, and unusual experience! It has nothing to do with birds, but it was most definitely one of or the most amazing  mammal experience I've ever had. 

We stopped on a bridge over the creek, to see some splashing in the water a little ways down. While looking through binoculars, we got a good look at what the commotion was all about. in the water, splashing, there was what we believe, to have been, a BEAVER!! The first Beaver I have ever seen! And the reason it was splashing made the incidence even better! It was trying to scare away a Mink! Once the Mink ran away, it swam across the creek, and started splashing again! And soon we saw a Second Mink on the bank! They soon all disappeared, and we continued back.
The reason we thought Beaver and not Muskrat is that when it was swimming and splashing, it appeared to have a wide tail. Also we had been finding both new and old beaver shewed trees the entire walk, and also a large hole in the side of the bank. I've done a little research and found that they do occasionally dig holes in banks for there homes!
Very Exciting!

Good Birding!