15 replies to this topic

[hahn23]

On Fishcreek Road in EP, there exists a series of beaver ponds, dams and a large lodge. Mostly seen at dawn and dusk, these big guys are worth observing from the roadside vantage point. August 26, 2010.

[Scrapinator]

Very nice. Beavers are one of the animals I have yet to see when I am out there. I'll have to try Fishcreek Road...maybe when I'm there in September.

[DrCloud]

Are these guys down around vanHorn Engineering and the golf course? Or way up higher?

I recall that during the May runoff, there were lakes in several spots that I attributed to beaver dams, but I never saw the critters. HPH

[hahn23]

DrCloud, on 27 August 2010 - 06:28 AM, said:

Are these guys down around vanHorn Engineering and the golf course? Or way up higher?

I recall that during the May runoff, there were lakes in several spots that I attributed to beaver dams, but I never saw the critters. HPH

Higher and further South. Where Fishcreek road curves to the West. I can see the Cheley Camp horses grazing in the pastures to the West. You can't miss the beaver ponds on the South side of the road.

The light is low at dawn and dusk near the beaver ponds. I had to use ISO 1250, ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 for these images. Tripod mount.

Edited by hahn23, 27 August 2010 - 06:41 AM.

[DrCloud]

hahn23, on 27 August 2010 - 06:38 AM, said:

Higher and further South. Where Fishcreek road curves to the West. I can see the Cheley Camp horses grazing in the pastures to the West. You can't miss the beaver ponds on the South side of the road.

The light is low at dawn and dusk near the beaver ponds. I had to use ISO 1250, ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 for these images. Tripod mount.

Thanks -- I 'll check 'em out next time I'm in town.

Beavers are cool, but I'm glad (and so are my aspens) that I don't have any near my house. HPH

[Larry]

Nice shooting. You have been out and about recently. Those are great shots especially shooting that that high an ISO.

How close to full frame did you get with these???

Larry

[hahn23]

Larry, on 27 August 2010 - 09:17 AM, said:

Nice shooting. You have been out and about recently. Those are great shots especially shooting that that high an ISO.

How close to full frame did you get with these???

Larry

I cropped off about 25% of each image. These beaver were within 20' to 30'.

[epdreamer]

We saw them when we were out there in July. I heard there may be as many as 8 now with multiple lodges. Is that true? Are they still right off of Fishcreek with the residential housing across the road or have they expanded the area they are living in now? Thanks.

[hahn23]

epdreamer, on 27 August 2010 - 11:35 AM, said:

We saw them when we were out there in July. I heard there may be as many as 8 now with multiple lodges. Is that true? Are they still right off of Fishcreek with the residential housing across the road or have they expanded the area they are living in now? Thanks.

I saw two adults and two juveniles. But, there might be more. One very large lodge, but three ponds and three dams. Lots of canals. Marvel of engineering.

[Janine]

Amazing shots, as usual!

[Allie]

Such amazing creatures. Great stuff, Richard.

[Aaron]

I remember hiking on a ranger led hike a long time ago (later 90's) and hearing the ranger respond to someone who'd asked about the presence of beavers. She said that there were some but they were pretty rare. In recent years I've noticed more signs of beaver activity so I'm ASSuming the numbers are growing.

Great shots

--Aaron

[jflo]

Excellent photos Richard ! Wish I saw this before heading back home...
I saw a beaver at the East Meadow campsite on the East Inlet trail a few years ago. Wonderful creatures! I sure hope they continue to multiply.

[hahn23]

jflo, on 31 August 2010 - 01:15 PM, said:

Excellent photos Richard ! Wish I saw this before heading back home...
I saw a beaver at the East Meadow campsite on the East Inlet trail a few years ago. Wonderful creatures! I sure hope they continue to multiply.

Inside the park, I'd look in the willow-covered wetlands area in Hollowell Park for active Beaver lodges. There's also a beaver dam and lodge visible from the road near the Endovalley picnic area, just before one starts the one-way travel up OldFRR. In general, one of the reasons the park is fencing off some of the meadow areas in Horseshoe Park, Moraine Park and Upper Beaver Meadows is to allow vegetative regrowth of willows and aspen. The elk have grazed things down to an unnatural state. Where the aspen and willows have been diminished, the beavers do not have the raw materials to build dams along the rivers. It will take a few years, but I'd expect the beavers to come back in those fenced off areas. The park has about 600 acres fenced off. Another 600 acres of fencing is planned. We call these areas elk exclosures. I'm sure that is a made up word, but it is descriptive.

There are old beaver dams, ponds and lodges along the Fern Lake trail.... not far from the FL trailhead. And, there are old beaver dams south of the Sprague Lake parking lot. If you hike off-trail with Igloo Ed between Zone Lake and Lake Haiyaha, there are many areas where beaver dams and ponds are evident.

Yeah, I think the beaver population will rebound with the newly protected areas established by the park service.

The rebound in aspen and willows is also key to the bird population. Birds which prefer cavity nests in large aspen trees include: Mountain Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, House Wrens, Northern Flickers, Pygmy Owls, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Williamson's Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Hairy WP, Downy WP... to name a few.

Edited by hahn23, 31 August 2010 - 02:07 PM.

[hahn23]

Beavers dam Fishcreek. 08/31/2010. (Low light conditions. ISO 1600. 1/100s.)

Edited by hahn23, 31 August 2010 - 09:58 PM.