Chickadee Photo Art

Beavers “Super Beaver”

// August 19th, 2011 // No Comments » // beaver, Boreal Forest, Canadian Shield, Mammals, Nopiming Provincial Park, Recent Posts, Rodents

This adult beaver was busy eating the leaves and branches of a recently harvested branch.  Two adults were floating this branch in the water only to be met by two beaver kits (photos below).  The little kits swam out from the edges of the creek to meet their parents and promptly started munching on the leaves as well.

I recently saw a nature show featuring the Canadian Beaver who is wreaking havoc in South America.  In South America they are known as  Super Beaver because of their ability to alter entire ecosystems.  It seems our Canadian Beavers are very adaptable to different environments, are active for longer periods throughout the day and therefore create their watery worlds at a faster rate. Our transplanted Canadian Beavers are thriving and destroying forests and valleys on the island of Tierra del Fuego.   Beavers also create wetland habitats for the benefit of other species and are nature’s greatest engineers.  The most fascinating rodent and so much fun to watch!

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Rock Climbing Beaver

// September 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // beaver, Boreal Forest, Mammals, Nopiming Provincial Park, Recent Posts, Rodents

We were fishing one summer afternoon and from a distance saw an object moving up and down a rock face in Nopiming Provincial Park.  We moved closer to take a look and found this young beaver quite high up on the rocks.  It appeared to be dining on wild straberries growing in the rock crevices.  I love watching these animals  – when they are out and about they always have a purpose to what they are doing.    After a while, the beaver moved back down to water level,  slipped in and at that point slapped its tail for us.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

DAM those Beavers . . .

// March 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // beaver, Boreal Forest, Nopiming Provincial Park, Rodents, Whiteshell Provincial Park

If you ever have the opportunity and some time to spare sit quietly and watch some beavers.  They are often out and about in the late afternoons before dark sets in. They spend a lot of time grooming their beautiful dense fur  releasing oils which keep their bodies dry. Beavers are chatty, social in their family groups, graceful in the water, waddle on land and extremely industrious. They drag limbs of trees through water channels with ease, cut down large trees with expert precision and create small lakes which in turn create habitat for waterfowl by building strategically placed dams (unfortunately not always where people wish to have land flooded).  The following photos were taken in Nopiming & Whiteshell Provincial Parks both of which have healthy populations of beavers. The mother and kit were very interesting to watch swimming together and diving down to get plant roots which they bring to the surface to dine on. Beavers played a major role in Canadian history being the subjects of the fur trade era.

Beavers spend a lot of time grooming their fur.

Their way the  beaver uses its “hands” to grasp branches or food remind me of the racoon – very nimble.

Below:  Beaver dam and lodge.  The water level on the high side was about 4 feet higher than the low side .  These beavers are master builders!

Enjoy!

~Sharon