Shelter Pond Beaver...

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9

Beaver swimming in pond Monroe Georgia dam

Tuesday, 7:49 AM - ​I am grateful to work in the relatively rural environs of Walton County, Georgia. Far better to look out an office window at sunshine mirrored off a pond, than to see the blinding glare of glass on neighboring high-rise buildings. Directly behind the shelter are two retention ponds. As these ponds fill during wetter times, they overflow through a small ephemeral stream to a large pond on a property south of the shelter. But some resident beaver have been busily re-engineering the habitat over the last few years, building an extensive network of stick-and-mud dams, effectively creating two large wetland areas I call the ‘Beaver Bogs’.

Although the beaver signs are everywhere – dams, canals, dens, tracks, fallen timber, piles of de-barked sticks – I’ve had yet to see one in the flesh (or rather, ‘in the fur’, I suppose). The night shift animal control officer has seen them; even a coworker’s young daughter had a chance encounter as one crossed her path while walking a puppy behind the shelter! But as for me, deliberately checking twice a day, still no beaver sightings… until today.

Beaver swimming in pond Monroe Georgia

I was bringing my trail camera up to the pond to try and capture my elusive Castoridae. As I approached the upper pond, I could see ripples extending out into the water from the bank, and trails of bubbles through the debris floating on the water. My hopes raised, I approached cautiously. There, sitting on the bank, chewing away, sat the big, brown rodent! I got a few photos before he took to the water, uncomfortable with my approach. He swam on the surface about 75 feet, and then dove underwater as he perceived my pursuit. I followed his trail of bubbles and stirred up mud for several minutes until it disappeared along the far bank.
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What a pleasure to finally get a glimpse of one of the shelter beaver, espying his small, rounded rodent-like ears; his thick brown fur coat; and long thick hairs protruding from his eyebrows and snout. The next morning, he was there again and I was able to capture some even closer photos. He was intent on finishing his leafy breakfast and allowed a closer approach.

Walton County, Georgia ​

Beaver swimming in pond Monroe Georgia

November 2, 2016 - as the pond has lowered, I've been able to explore more. It is amazing how large a tree these industrious mammals can fell. Down tree felled by North American Beaver, Castor canadensis, chewing through the trunk. Trees are cut down using their strong incisor teeth to build dam.

October 6, 2016 - the beaver have dammed up the upstream end of this culvert and created the standing water "Duckweed Bog" near the shelter.

More signs of industrious beaver; November 8, 2016. Photo #201611195