Northwoods Beavers

We were visiting far to the north where the mountains are higher and the forests are healthier than in northcentral Pennsylvania. A journey to the base of a notch in the mountains brought us to a wetland with a beaver pond. The beavers have quite a view from their chosen abode –

Their dam, composed of sticks and mud, backs up enough water to make a pond of about an acre above which is another, smaller pond  –

There’s a beaver lodge not far from the dam –

Surprisingly, there’s a second active beaver lodge not far from the first, it can be seen against the upturned roots of a fallen tree –

In a small pond such as this there would usually be only one beaver family group using a lodge occupied by a pair of beavers, their offspring from the previous year and the young of the current year. 

These beavers were exceptionally unwary, even appearing to be curious, and were active in mid-day. They swam back and forth in the pond, affording good opportunities for photographs –

One ate bark from a large piece of wood that had recently been incorporated into the distant lodge –

Another beaver nibbled bark from a small twig –

Although beavers are renowned for cutting trees and feeding on the bark of aspen, birch, willow and maple they also eat bark from other species and readily feed on the roots of cattails and water lilies.

Beavers are fascinating animals and this colony in such a scenic setting is a gem.