Hungry beaver

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Hungry beaver

October 14, 2013 by Mike Powell

Whenever I am at my local marsh near sundown, I like to hang around near the beaver lodge to see if I can spot the beavers. Often I can hear them gnawing on branches, but rarely do I get an unobstructed view of one of them.

This past weekend, though, I managed to be at the right spot at the right time and got this shot of a North American Beaver (Castor canadensis). It seemed smaller than the other one I saw that evening, so I wonder if this is a young one.

The light was fading as I took these shots and I had to push my ISO past 1000. Even so, the shutter speed was below 1/30 second, so I was happy that my camera was already on my tripod. I was kneeling on the boardwalk as I took these shots and was afraid that other people would approach and scare the beaver away. I was really happy when an approaching family with several small children saw what I was doing and sat down on the boardwalk and quietly watched the beaver in action.

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, beaver, Canon 50D, Canon 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens, Castor canadensis, gnawing, hungry, hungry beaver, Huntley Meadows Park, North American Beaver | 10 Comments

10 Responses

on October 14, 2013 at 9:30 am | Reply Victor Rakmil

Wonderful. Its that time of year when they re-build their lodges and are easier to see! Great shots.
- on October 14, 2013 at 9:44 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. The lodge they were near seems pretty rundown and I am hoping they will begin to pack mud on it and renovate a bit as they did last last year.
on October 14, 2013 at 10:33 am | Reply joeschelling

I’m always amazed that you get pictures of these guys, Mike. In my experience, they are very wary and almost impossible to catch in action.
- on October 14, 2013 at 10:44 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Joe. I am blessed with an almost ideal situation. The beaver lodge actually incorporates a bench that is part of the boardwalk and the entrance to the lodge is under the boardwalk. So, when I walk on the boardwalk, I am essentially walking in the middle of the beaver pond. I also have been amazingly lucky.
on October 14, 2013 at 11:58 am | Reply Sue

Great shots even with a slow shutter, Mike. Photos don’t look grainy at all, even with t he high ISO. well done!
on October 14, 2013 at 12:43 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn

Wonderful shots Mike. You were so fortunate to get that view and made the most of it.
- on October 14, 2013 at 4:40 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I think it really helped that I was able to use the tripod. When the light is low, every little bit helps to steady the camera.
on October 15, 2013 at 6:38 am | Reply New Hampshire Gardener

If you only knew how many cold, damp mornings I have spent trying to get shots of beavers with not a single one worth keeping, you’d know how impressive photos like these really are to those of us who have tried. Your beaver shots really are something to be proud of.
- on October 15, 2013 at 6:43 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. My shots of the beavers are among my favorites and I am hoping that they continue to use this lodge, which is situated in a perfect location for me to get shots. The most recent photos were surprising, because the beaver came out of the water in the one location that was not obstructed by tree branches and undergrowth.
on November 5, 2013 at 1:05 pm | Reply Beaver work | Back Yard Biology

[…] have yet to see a beaver in the wild, and have admired and envied the photos of those (like Mike Powell) who can find them within the range of their telephoto lens. But I do see evidence of their recent […]