Felled Trees and Beaver

Because I had literally worn out my beloved Kodak, sweet Ron gifted me with a new camera for Christmas and I was eager to try it out. So last week when an unusually warm January day presented itself, we took off in our kayaks for a picture-taking adventure.

Hoping to capture shots of wildlife, we paddled in and out of quiet coves, saw neither a single bird nor animal. We did, however, see signs of beaver. See photos below. Click, then click again to enlarge.

 Beavers  must chew on wood often because their huge teeth are constantly growing.

 

 Here's another shot.

 Same tree snapped from a distance. It was a big tree. 

And all they did was gnaw around it.

 Another tree felled by beaver. This one toppled over before 

they finished chewing all the way around it.

A close-up of the same tree.

Many property owners around Smith Mountain Lake complain about the damage done by beavers. Some folks have lost nice trees they've planted near the shoreline. I have a friend whose weeping willow looked lovely one day. The next day it had vanished, except for the gnawed trunk. They replanted; lost another. And another.

I know beavers are considered pests, but I remember a February day several years ago when I stepped out on our deck and saw two beavers--Momma and Baby (called a kit)--climb up our bank. I hurried inside, grabbed my Olympus camera (I wore it out, too), and hurried back to the deck. The beavers shuffled around in the dry leaves and small scrub trees. I watched Momma chew off a small branch, nudge Baby, then drop back in the water; Baby followed.  I snapped a few pictures. None are very good, but they help me remember.

Note the branch in Momma's mouth, and Baby swimming behind her.

Momma and Baby

The pair was almost out of camera range before Momma stopped swimming and faced Baby. For about 30 seconds, Momma and Baby "conversed." Fascinated, I continued to watch as both beavers swam back to the edge of the bank. Momma waited in the water while Baby climbed up the bank, gnawed off a twig, and returned to the lake. I missed those pictures, and  wish I'd had time to set up a video camera for the whole event.

Baby swimming with his twig.

 Baby with his twig. Momma was behind the tree in both photos.

 I felt privileged to have witnessed this precious event, a learning experience for both Baby and me, and I'll never forget it. 

To learn more about beavers, visit the youtube sites below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuMRDZbrdXc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZVbKwDmr-o