Recent Sightings – Page 10

Precarious

heidi08 New Species, Recent Sightings December 28, 2009

Who doesn’t overeat on the holidays? The beavers have apparently had a busy Christmas weekend. I think of them waking up and seeing all the gnawed trees (six by cheryl’s account). Maybe it’s a little like getting up after a party and seeing how many empty bottles are assembled in the kitchen. (Ohhhh. Maybe we shoulda stopped sooner. No wonder my head’s killing me!) Still, the beavers probably have some leftover genes that tell them to “eat up and make food to store” for winter, even though Martinez doesn’t freeze. They clearly let that archaic message direct some chewing behavior.

Like all late night parties goers, the beavers have had some incredible guests lately. Check out these photos from Cheryl this weekend.

Snowy Egret at landing on secondary dam: Cheryl Reynolds

Great Egret Fishing on Secondary Dam: Cheryl Reynolds

This is a nice opportunity to see the snowy egrets fancy feet. See that bright colored landing gear in the first photo? The snowy egret comes equipped with some flashy footwear that he wriggles under the water to attract the fish. When some curious fellows come underwater to investigate, the snowy egret snaps up his dinner! Now that’s some good designing.

Oh and by the way, this is the first year we’ve photographed Great Egrets at the beaver dam. Mark it as another species drawn to the habitat.

Good News for Connecticut Beavers?

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Recent Sightings November 30, 2009

After reading a very sad article yesterday where HSUS’ Laura Simon discussed a Barred Owl caught by a leg hold trap, I wrote our old friend friend to commiserate and offer support. Turns out she is located in Connecticut and was very unhappy about the loss. Laura is a good friend of Mike Callahan of beaver solutions, and got him to apply for the Christine Stevens Award for his DVD project. I accidentally ‘met’ her when I contacted John Hadidian of HSUS about the Rossmoor Woodpeckers and she was covering for his vacation. I hadn’t realized she was from the only state where HSUS covers beaver problems. Did she know whether Skip Hilliker had been consulted in the New Forests Association case? Sadly he was not. One of her higher-ups in HSUS had called Mr. Peterson and offered their help but it had been declined.

You’ll remember this is the case where the treasurer of the Wildlife Association decided to write a message on his list-serv about the need to kill their beavers and the best way to do it without annoying animal rights interference. He also helpfully suggested what the home owners should complain about so they could blame their intervention on those complaints down the road. It was a stunning example of what goes on (I won’t even say behind the scenes) at a Home Owner’s Association.

So yesterday I forwarded Mr. Peterson my response from Laura and said I was so confused why he hadn’t contacted her. She followed up with another offer to connect with him and we crossed our fingers and waited. This morning he wrote her back, inviting her to come see the difficulties for herself. He said he was working with an engineering firm who is advising that the whole tunnel needs replacing because this one is completely obstructed by beavers. They have applied for a grant on the work, but in the meantime he would be happy to hear her thoughts.

Gosh. The news is next-door to being hopeful. Inviting Laura to come check out the scene is good. Asking engineers is not good. I’m mystified about how come the beavers wouldn’t plug up a “new tunnel” but I assume he’s relying on the fact that they’ll be dead to keep them in line. It would be great to bring in some culvert work and block it with a trapezoidal fence to keep them out of the tunnels altogether. I’m eager to see what happens, and you can be sure I’ll keep you posted.

Oh,BTW, for those of you interested in our local new beaver developments, Jon saw two yearlings on the dam-let last night, and one was scenting!

Not Lazy

heidi08 Beaver News, Recent Sightings November 29, 2009

Photo: Cheryl Reynolds

One thing you have to admire about beavers is their commitment to work. Oh its nothing like our TypeA/driven/greedy/soulless workaholic-ism. It’s completely different. Do you remember inventing a new game as a child? It was wholly absorbing until mom brought grilled cheese sandwiches and then you were munchingly engrossed in lunch and laughing about emily’s hair sticking straight up, and then after lunch back to the game only you made three changes so that new people could play and instead of a butterfly restaurant you were a zoo keeper whose crocodile could paint.

This is the ambling, creative, purposeful way that beavers work. They don’t ever expect to be finished, and they don’t mind at all stopping to munch a willow branch or wrestle with their brother. They are happy to work alone, and equally happy to share the load. They might do very little, or an exhausting lot, depending on the materials, the moment and their mood. If there is a way to be a “zen workaholic” beavers have found it.

Which is offered by way of introduction to the new goings on at the footbridge lately. Cheryl went down yesterday to help a visiting Humbolt student make plaster casts of beaver footprints, and noticed some new activity in the first scrape, upstream of the footbridge. The photo is of a new dam-let to the right of the creek in the scrape, entirely made of mud and tulles, and bordered by a lovely new channel the beavers have dug right to the center of the tulles. The picture above is taken from the upstream corner, facing the footbridge, with the actual creek not shown but running along to the left.

Beaver canals are an important addition, and one we’ve been waiting for. Also a mysterious pile of dirt that I think is a scent mound, which is another expected (but until now not seen) addition. Jon saw what might have been “scenting” behavior yesterday as a large beaver climbed onto the dam several times. We recently learned that these mounds can be both a “keep out” sign to other beavers, and a “SWF” personal ad for a beaver whose lost its mate or is looking for one. All in all its a pretty exciting development for the end of November. Maybe you’ll want to stop by and see for yourself.

“They only eat the apple peelings”

heidi08 pictures, Recent Sightings July 25, 2009

The folks who live in backward town
Are inside out and upside down
They wear their hats inside their heads
And go to sleep beneath their beds
They only eat the apple peelings
And they take their walk across the ceilings

Mary Ann Hoberman 1959

Our intrepid wildlife photographer Cheryl Reynolds was on hand last night when beaver friend (and fish defender!) ML showed up after having spent the day making apple pies. She wisely saved the peelings for our furry friends, and they enjoyed a truly unique meal of “apple pasta”.

Fraternity

heidi08 Friends of Martinez Beavers, Recent Sightings July 14, 2009

There’s a new development in beaverdom you might have noticed if you’ve been visiting the dam site. The yearlings have moved into a frat house down stream, far enough away from mom and dad to safely enjoy their all night parties and keggers, but close enough to still borrow money every time they need it. We did a swat team observation on sunday to confirm that the parents were still in the old (new) lodge, and they definately came out for the night from above the dam, while the yearlings came out from below it.

Remember your first apartment? It didn’t quite look like mom and dad’s, and you were perfectly happy sitting on milk crates or opening the refridgerator with a screw driver. Same for our beavers, who appear to just use a hole in the bank at the moment. They were bringing lots of twigs and reeds for bedding that night, so I’m sure they’re only a few lava lamps away from it being home sweet home.

With the summer developments we have our recurring problem of JDFFB. (Juvenile Delinquents Fishing From the Bridge.) Early on I wrote the mayor about this and was brushed aside with the (wishful) remark “the beavers might just become victims of their own popularity”. (Um, Mr. Mayor, I think your unconscious slip might be showing.) The police did come out last night because the JD’s were F-ing from the Bertolas property, which is illegal, but not before they frightened the grandmother who asked them to stop, and later wrote me much shaken.

Tonight, July 13th, there were quite a few boys fishing off the cement place next to Bertolo’s, beyond the “no tresspassing” sign. The “no tresspassing” gate was propped open and the young people were gathering by ones and twos. I approached the boys and told them that fishing there might not be actually illegal, but it is rude. They said they would be careful and if they saw a beaver they would stop. So a yearling swam on by and they did nothing with the two lines they had in the water. I said “I see you seeing that beaver and you are still fishing”. The biggest boy, with large hunting knife near him, said I should stop talking to him right away if I knew what was good for me. I was very dissapointed with how he spoke to me, an obvious grandmother. I called the police from Luigi’s, who was very kind, and they did respond. The officer I spoke to, sorry, I didn’t get his name, said that was the only place they could not fish legally because it is private property. I was saddened by the entire events of the evening…

Apparently it is perfectly legal to fish from the bridge, although hardly a good idea. The best we can do is ask, and then hover. Take your friends with you and go stand near the crowd. I’m thinking some older women just appearing really interested in their day and who their best friend is and whether the drink whole or skim milk might drive them out pretty darn quick. It worked for me when I was a JDFFB.

I may have other news for you soon. Stay tuned.