Sad news, and whither the critter cam next?

I checked on the beaver's dam today, and made some observations.

The abandoned dam.

The dam appears to be abandoned. It's even smaller than last week, and shows no signs of having been improved by the beaver.

the den.

The beaver's den also appears untended.














I checked the beaver slides, those trails where the beaver from the stream to dry land. I saw no tracks. Similarly, I walked upstream on both banks of the stream about 200 yards and saw no new trees cut down.

silt collected by the dam.

I did look at the beaver pond just behind the dam. This photograph may not show it well, but there appears to be a great deal of silt collected by the dam. This is evidence of the damage done to streams by urbanization, and also evidence of how beaver dams, can help the environment. They trap this sediment, and keep it from racing downstream toward the Chesapeake Bay.

Conclusion: the last storm was one too many for our rodent friend, so it's gone. I have no doubt that it considers itself evicted by the landlord called urban stream flooding. I did not walk the entire stream, so I don't know if it has just moved a little bit and is going to try again on Minebank Run. Which leads to a new goal for this year. Minebank Run is a little under 4 miles from headwaters to mouth. I think I will walk the entire length one day this year. Seems like it might be fun.

The new entrance hole to the beaver's den.

But, nature abhors a vacuum, doesn't it? Already I see a new hole leading into the beaver's den. Another animal has already moved in. I hope the landlord will be more accommodating to the new tenant.

The camera is set up overlooking the den. I may get a glimpse of the new tenant. But, I may not as the camera is about forty-five feet away. That's a long way for a trail camera. It's also the closest tree that wasn't cut down by the beaver.




The Cromwell Critter Cam is not done, even if the beaver is. I intend to keep the camera out, and to keep seeing what there is to be seen in Cromwell Valley Park.

More later.