Tuesday

Winter Beaver Doings


The Author regularly discovers Beaver sign while enjoying wild areas. He decided to snap some photos this time. 


*Click on photos to enlarge or for a Lightbox view


The North American beaver (Castor Canadensis) fells large trees overwinter, creating stumps named “Stools”. These Stools will regrow in the Spring, forming bushy bouquets of stalks and creating a more convenient food source for the Beaver Family. This process is called Coppicing.


The Beaver Lodge is as large as an automobile and may house a large Family Unit of Beaver. 


Coyotes, Foxes and Bobcats will occasionally claw at Beaver Lodges as evidenced by this photo.


Open Water can be seen at the entrance to the Beaver Lodge. 


Changes in weather, snow accumulation, warm-ups and melting can cause Beavers to restart a Cut.










Beavers eat the Inner Bark of trees as food. It took the Author almost a minute to walk the full length of this Beaver's "Bark Bar / Buffet".

Video:



The Author came across some Wild Cucumber too. Leftover from Summer, These Wild Cucumbers have prickly spines.


Dogwood stands out against the snow because of it's remarkable Red and Yellow colors.