As I wander about in Huntley Meadows Park, I see lots of signs that winter is on its way, including this tree that I encountered in what seemed to be the middle of the woods. Clearly the beavers have been as busy as, well, beavers. I am hoping to be able to capture them in action in the upcoming months.
If you read this blog frequently, you probably noticed that this image is quite different from my “normal” wildlife close-ups. When I stumbled upon this tree on which a beaver had been gnawing, I was struck by the interplay of light and shadows. As I framed this shot, which is uncropped here, I was trying to capture the almost monochromatic look of the scene in a very simple composition. I’m pretty pleased by the different textures that I was also able to capture in the shot.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Oh, beavers, of course I looked at your photo and my first thought was that it was a very odd angle for an axe wielding vandal.
Beavers manage to do quite a job on trees, including some pretty big ones.
Living as I do in a different hemisphere and so not at all familiar with beavers, I find this image fascinting. How long would it take beavers to topple a tree with a trunk this size?
I think they can topple a tree this big in a matter of hours, though I am not sure about that.
Great photo, Mike, but the beaver’s work is equally impressive. I’d have a hard time doing that with an ax.
Excellent capture Mike. They certainly attack sizeable trees!
Is the beaver on break? 😀
Union rules–they can only work a certain number of hours.