Now how do I write the gender pronouns? (I need an editor)

I checked the dam again yesterday.

the dam. 27 April 2013.

As you can see, all is well.















And we have photo confirmation of our quick visual observation of last week. As you can see, there are indeed two of these delightful rodents in our pond.

count 'em--there's two!

I presume that this means there will soon be more. Beavers are monogamous. They usually give birth to 2 to 4 young each spring. Birthing occurs typically in April or May. That's something to look forward to, isn't it?

I have noticed something else that caught my attention in the last couple visits to the beaver pond. There are fewer sticks left over from the beaver eating the cambium than there were in the winter. I think this means that they have switched to eating more green plants and less wood cambium. 

27 April 2013.

Also, the big tree is nowhere near being eaten through. I'll let you know if they ever do get it down.

Below are some pictures of the comings and goings at the pond recently.

More later.

Live action--what fun. And video to boot.

the dam and its creator. 13 April 2014.

Last night my splendid wife and I decided to take a quick walk through the park, and to look at the camera. I was especially anxious to see how much damage was done to the pond by the recent rains.
As we approached the beaver pond, we both noticed water rippling.

Boy howdy, did we time it right.

The beaver was out and active. (Can you see it it the picture above placing a stick on the dam?) Too cool.

We spent several minutes watching. My wife actually saw 2 beavers. She saw the second only briefly, near the dam. The one that stayed in view placed two sticks on the dam, and some mud and leaves. We also saw it leave the pond and spend a couple minutes near the large tree that it still hasn't finished eating through. It appeared to be eating grass.
















So, I leave you with 2 videos of the beaver in it's pond.

More later.

A dozen good things beaver ponds do for the environment

the dam. 9 April 2013.

I checked the beaver today, and discovered that the tree is still standing.

 I decided to keep the camera looking at the tree, as I think it might be fun to capture its fall on camera.
(Wish me luck with that, please.)

As you can see, the beaver is still working on the tree.




While poking around the area, I noticed some other interesting things. From an earlier entry, you may recall that the beaver cut down a tree, but that the tree got hung up in vines and didn't fall to the ground. Today, I noticed that our rodent friend has cut through the vine, allowing the tree to drop to the ground.

the tree, on the ground and limbed by the  beaver.

The vine the beaver cut to free the tree.

How's that for problem solving?

I also noticed an art installation in Minebank Run. It is unsigned.

Courtesy of North Carolina State University, I leave you with a list of Beaver Pond Benefits

Active Ponds

1. Improve downstream water quality
2. Provide watering holes for agricultural and wildlife needs
3. Supply important breeding areas for amphibians and fish
4. Provide diverse wetland habitats
5. Furnish feeding, brood rearing and resting areas for waterfowl
6. Encourage many reptile, bat amphibian, fish and bird species

Abandoned Ponds

1. Furnish snags for cavity-nesters and insectivores
2. Fallen logs supply cover for reptiles and amphibians
3. Provide essential edges and forest openings
4. Supply diverse moist-soil habitats within bottomland forests
5. Create productive bottomland forests
6. Provide foraging and nesting areas for bats, songbirds, owls, and hawks

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/pdf/www/www23.pdf

More later.