Busy As A Beaver

I often spend the first hours of the day parked beside a small creek not far from our home.  I am watching for wildlife that might come to the creek and, as often as not, that means beavers.  As winter approaches beavers get busy storing branches and limbs for food to get them through the winter.  These  photos were taken from mid-October to the present.  Because they are primarily nocturnal taking photos before the sun is up requires open apertures, slow shutter speeds and high ISO settings.  Most of these were taken at ISO 3200 or 6400 from the window of my truck.  A "puffin pad" was used as a camera support whenever possible...

 

Beavers eat grasses when they are available.  Often bringing them to the lodge for their young or to eat later...

 

 

Countless trips are made everyday to ensure there is enough food on hand...

 

 

 

 

 

I especially enjoy seeing the young beavers as they learn to forage...

 

 



 

 

Some individuals are so distinctive that I have photos of them from one year to the next.  A good example is the next image of a beaver with a persistent hair style...

 

 

 

The food supply is often stored on the creek bank with each piece placed with care and firmly secured in place...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is when they come out of the water that one can tell that there are usually three generations present.  The largest are the adults and the parents of the kits born this year.  Also present are last years adolescents.  These older siblings to the kits serve as baby sitters and mentors to the young ones...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though I have photographed this family group for a number of years, I never tire of watching them and learning what they are willing to teach to a quiet observer.