Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A Beaver Pond of the Vermilon River-A post to Watery Wednesday # 122



Shows two lodges


Oldest lodge


The beaver dam is at the end of this channel.




This is a two part post, giving you a tour of the largest and most successful of the many beaver ponds of the Vermilon.I had toured this pond before, but that was in the summer. These photos were taken in mid- November before the snow came, which was incidentally very late this year. So its very cold. This one is the size of a small lake and contains two lodges as the photo shows. The older one is in the forefront. I know success is relative to something and the something is this: this pond did not dry up over the long, hot, dry summer. Part of this is accounted for by the dam the beaver have constructed at the end of the channel in photo 3(on your right); the other by the fact that it is likely spring fed. The dam is strong enough to cross, although you run the risk of bog land on the other side

A few Beaver Facts:
1) Canada, or North America for that matter, had no spices as early explores hoped, but men's fashion i.e. the beaver hat would create a struggle between two empires for control of the fur trade, the beaver was the center of that trade.
2) Beavers are workers,cutting down some 216 trees individually per year. Their favourites, aspen and birch, serve as food and construction materials.
3)Dams are built to ensure that the ponds will surface freeze only leaving open the deep areas for easy winter passage.
4) Beavers dam the narrowest area embedding a substructure of branches that the water fans out and built from there.
5) The lodge consists of four rooms-feeding, resting, fresh air, and two escape areas in the event predators gain access.
6) Beaver also build canals to transport all of the material they harvest.

For more info see http://www.hwww.ca/hww2.asp?id=82   Who's Who in the Hinterland.

A post to Watery Wednesday,for more sites see: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

If you are following the tour of the pond, I'll post the other on Sunday at Scenic Sunday.
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36 comments:

  1. JimJanuary 11, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Great reflections.
    Sydney - City and Suburbs

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  2. Bob BushellJanuary 11, 2011 at 3:51 PM

    I love them, the Beavers should make living nice and gently.

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  3. boniferJanuary 11, 2011 at 4:09 PM

    Great pictures Gary, the beavers have certainly been very busy !!

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  4. EG CameraGirlJanuary 11, 2011 at 4:40 PM

    Good pictures, Gary. I have never seen a beaver except in pictures. I imagine you have seen quite a few!

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  5. LesleyJanuary 11, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    did you see any of the beavers in this pond? they can be such elusive creatures.

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  6. KristinJanuary 11, 2011 at 6:38 PM

    Lovely set of photos you have there. It's so calm and peaceful. Nice post about the beavers. Wondering did you spot any during your trip? Are beavers often sighted there where you took your photo. Have a nice day Gary. :-)

    Regards,
    Kristin

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  7. Gemma WisemanJanuary 11, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    Amazing what these little characters can do! Fascinating photos!

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  8. NicoletteJanuary 12, 2011 at 1:16 AM

    Great photos... So interesting finding out about the beavers...

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  9. ChrisJanuary 12, 2011 at 2:33 AM

    Hi,
    I would love to see them again. I've seen them once I was in Halifax and did a small trip outside the city, but just for few seconds. They are such amazing workers.

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  10. Hootin AnniJanuary 12, 2011 at 4:20 AM

    When I lived in Colorado [for nearly 50 years]...way up in the high country, along the rivers, we'd see a lot of these.

    Your photos look so "cold" and wintry.


    My Wednesday post link In Search of the Elusive WHOLE Sand Dollar

    http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/2011/01/beachcombingits-obsession.html

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  11. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:34 AM

    Hi Bob. Yes they're just peaceful hardworkers.

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  12. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    Hi Bonifer. I'll bet you've seen lots of these ponds.

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  13. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:37 AM

    Hi EG WOW: Only in passing. Never long enough to get any photos.

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  14. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:39 AM

    Only in passing Lesley, and I expect most of their activity takes place on the other side of the pond which is deep forest.The beaver lodges were shot with my 500mm lens which indicates how far away they are.

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  15. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    Hi Kristen. As I said earlier I expect most of their activity takes place on the other side where you can see the birch stand. I think I know how to get there now, so we'll see.

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  16. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:43 AM

    To GreyScale. They are fascinating, especially to try and find the guys in this pond.

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  17. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    Thanks Nikki for the visit and comments.

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  18. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:47 AM

    Hi Chris. Too bad you're not here. I could show you how to get to the other side and you could break the trail. Hiking with two is better in this area as the Hydro trail is cleared but has regrowth blue berry bushes in profusion, meaning its black bear country.

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  19. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:51 AM

    Hi Anni. Yes they're a common NA animal but to water and the forest so up the mountains in Colorado sounds right.

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  20. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:59 AM

    Hi J Bar. Bet you don't have beaver ponds in the city.

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  21. YoshiJanuary 12, 2011 at 7:40 AM

    Thanks for the information. Whenever I visit your blog, I could learn new things. What an exciting and fun to learn many thing about nature!
    Have a wonderful day.
    Yoshi

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  22. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 7:48 AM

    Hi Yoshi and thanks for the visit, and kind words.

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  23. NatureFootstepJanuary 12, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    great WW shot. :)

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  24. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    Thanks for the compliments NatureFoostep.

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  25. eileeninmdJanuary 12, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Beautiful photos, love the scenery. The beaver dam looks huge.

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  26. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 3:51 PM

    Hi eileeninmd. Huge and solid. Thanks for the visit.

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  27. UnknownJanuary 12, 2011 at 6:58 PM

    Great to have these fascinating animals nearby.
    They are amazing to me!
    What a beautiful spot in nature!

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  28. Sallie (FullTime-Life)January 13, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    Oh we love to watch beavers (when we're in the Pacific Northwest). I'm not even sure if there are any here in Florida -- I'll have to go look that up. You'd think so, but I haven't seen or heard of any. Maybe it's too warm. Anyway, thanks for the lovely picture tour and I always appreciate the snippets of information; such a painless way to learn.

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  29. UnknownJanuary 13, 2011 at 11:29 AM

    Hi Sallie: Glad you enjoyed the post.

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  30. UnknownJanuary 13, 2011 at 11:30 AM

    Hi Nicole: Thanks for the visit and the forest is a wonderful place to live.

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  31. MaryJanuary 13, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    I'm not a fur person, but I remember my mother had an old beaver collar in the cedar chest and it was the softest fur imaginable. I can see why people wanted it. I was suprised a beaver would feel like that.

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  32. Mike B. @ slugyard.comJanuary 14, 2011 at 8:05 AM

    Good post. Around here, everyone always wants to have the beaver dams removed. Kind of funny, considering Oregon is the Beaver State.

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  33. UnknownJanuary 14, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    To Mike. Here they remove the beaver and the dam near roads. But the beaver rebuild.

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  34. UnknownJanuary 14, 2011 at 12:30 PM

    Hi Mary. I think that's why they were valued for men's hats.

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  35. Johnny NutcaseJanuary 14, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    Cool spot! That's a huge lodge they've built, impressive! I see beaver dams and lodges, their cut trees a lot, but I don't actually see them too often. They're kinda cute though :)

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  36. UnknownJanuary 14, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    Hi Johnny. I don't think they like to be away from the water. Thanks for the visit.

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