Dam Easy

heidi08 Beavers, pictures, Recent Sightings October 23, 2012

Let’s say, (and why not) that you’re a surface feeding bird whose neck only reaches so far into the water. You have razor sharp reflexes, a quick stabbing bill. You hang around looking at those delicious fish at the bottom of the pond. You even wiggle your toes to try and get them curious so they come closer. But you have to wait for the tasty morsels to float towards the top of the pond before you can partake. It’s very annoying.

And then, water starts coming from the sky. Just like that! And the pond fills up and up and up until something amazing starts happening. All those tasty morsels start getting pushed up to the surface and some of them even get pushed over the dam. Your dinner just walking across your plate. Your prayers have been answered! Weather girls be dammed! All of a sudden it’s raining fish!

snowy egret — Snowy Egret - Cheryl Reynolds

You step into the line of fire and start devouring scaly manna from heaven. Ohh that’s good! You deserve this. You’ve waited your turn. Welcome to easy street! It’s about dam time! Uh oh. what’s that shadow over your shoulder? Looks like fishing is now so dam easy even a child could do it!

juvenile night heron — Juvenile Night Crowned Heron - Cheryl Reynolds

Isn’t that always how it happens! You finally get what you’ve been waiting for and some dam kid shows up to crowd your glory and take it all away. He doesn’t deserve this! This is your turf! He has no idea what he’s even doing! Look at those feet! No fish is gonna be interested in them! Just sitting there with his mouth hanging open! Well a bird’s gotta do what a bird’s gotta do. Sometimes a man just has to defend what’s his. Ya’ know?

This exciting episode of “Good Bird Fellas” has been brought to you by Cheryl Reynolds and the Martinez Beavers. These photos were all taken yesterday at the primary dam.

SWP equality campaign

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, kits, pictures, Recent Sightings September 24, 2012

Beaver Tales is not a funny story

If the saga of the Beavers of Stanton Drain and their forest friends wasn’t so sadly real it would be worthy of a Monty Python skit.

On the one hand you have a pair of beavers that love to build dams. They’ve chosen Stanton Drain, which runs through a natural heritage wetland in Hyde Park, as home.

While it can’t be argued the damming beavers are exclusively responsible for the menagerie of frogs, salamanders, other reptiles and mammals, and 37 bird species that also shares this little spot, they’ve certainly contributed in large measure.

It can’t even be argued the beavers are the central story. Their part may be symbolic more than anything – but lordy as symbols go they’ve got it huge.

Snappy intro to the McLeod report, a fairly formal commentary blog from Philip McLeod the journalist in London Ontario. I love the way he describes the beaver pond as essential to countless species of wildlife, and then goes step by step outlining the pickle the city has gotten itself into. Call me crazy but I think that if Storm Water Ponds (SWPs) are going to be linked using an existing creek as a flood channel then the SWP become part of the creek, not the other way round. (Key word POND) Anyway, every creek is technically a SWP. That’s what creeks do. Hold and direct water during storms. Didn’t you know?

I suppose you will argue that SWPs are manmade and concrete, to which I would say most creeks have WAY more manmade concrete (or sheetpile) in them than they should so that really doesn’t delineate the two. Also since whatever name you call it, a beaver or otter or steelhead might move into it, you had better bite the bullet and learn how to control beavers humanely and install a culvert fence or flow device if you need one.

Even if you successfully get rid of these more will be back and we’ll be having this conversation next year or the year after that. Do it right, help wildlife, soothe the protesters and the property owners and save yourself from next year’s headache.

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Three beavers last night again braving a super high tide. Junior from over the primary dam, mom (?) from up there as well afterward, and Dad’s big form seen emerging for the second time from the bank hole downstream by the third dam they’ve been working on. Here’s a glimpse of the happy family:

Adorable

heidi08 kits, Recent Sightings August 7, 2012

Last night we couldn’t resist the allure of uncrowded beavers so we snuck down to take a peek. The Chevron fire cloud loomed dark over the west hills after the first half hour, then passed directly overhead on its way to Concord. Our eyes were stinging after a little while, but who could walk away from this? Look at those little toes!

Jr. was out with suitable beaver forage behavior. Mom and Dad (?) made an appearance too. Apparently Moses saw them enjoying the ‘alpine beaver bouquet’ the night before. I guess beavers don’t need a menu to explain what’s good to eat!

There is lots of beaver news in the world, threats of trapping and a horrible story about boyscouts stoning a ‘ rabid beaver’ to death on the Delaware river, but I’m not ready to play in traffic yet, so you just enjoy!

Remember Rebecca from Cornwall?

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental, featured, Friends of Martinez Beavers, New Species, Recent Sightings, Video July 15, 2012

She and others worked REALLY hard to get rid of trapping and save some beavers in Cornwall Ontario, which sits right above New York State. They protested, talked to the media, and generally made an obstacle of themselves and guess what happened? Always remember what Gandhi said

First they ignore you

Then they laugh at you

Then they fight with you

Then you win.

Posted by Mike Callahan on the Beaver Management Forum. Photos courtesy of Rebecca Sorrell.

Great Beaver News from Ontario!

I returned home today from a fabulous trip north of the border to Cornwall, Ontario. It was a fantastic week full of fun, good conversations, and lots of hot, hard and rewarding work installing flow devices.

As you may recall from recent BMF posts, The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals based in Vancouver, offered the financial support and expertise to install the first flow devices in the city of Cornwall, Ontario. They also kindly paid me to assist them with the flow device installations.

I’d like to give big kudos to Adrian Nelson of FBD. He really impressed me with his ability to work with local officials, obtain all the right materials and tools, design the proper flow device for each of four sites, and teach the local volunteers how to build and install the devices. He was so good that my expertise was barely needed. I agreed completely with his plan for all four sites.

Adrian is quickly becoming North America’s west coast flow device expert!

A major highlight of my trip to Ontario was meeting the inspirational leader of the campaign to save Cornwall’s beavers from continued trapping. Her name is Rebecca Sorrell and she just joined our Beaver Management Forum. Welcome Rebecca! Never doubt that one determined and passionate person can be the catalyst for positive change. She has rallied many other good people in Cornwall and together they are making the city change its trap first policy.

Rebecca and many in her large group of passionate volunteers were actively involved with the flow device installations and are taking responsibility for monitoring and maintaining them to ensure long-term success. In addition, they plan on installing more flow devices themselves if the city has beaver conflicts elsewhere! They are a dedicated bunch, led by a special and inspirational person, and with our Forum’s support and assistance I am sure they will succeed!

Donna, Gary and Kate, our Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Center beaver friends made the trip to Cornwall and were also very helpful and a delight to spend time with. Hopefully our work in Cornwall will inspire / embarrass the politicians in the Capital city of Ottawa to finally embrace flow devices. Good luck to these dedicated beaver friends as they continue their struggle in their nation’s Capital.

There was some good local media coverage in Cornwall which is so important to educate the public. Hopefully Rebecca can post the links and maybe a few pictures of the installs here for everyone to see.

Finally, it was a pleasure and honor to work with all these good folks as we all continue to spread the word about the importance of beavers and the effectiveness of flow devices.

A hearty congratulations to Rebecca and friends, Adrian and Furbearer Defenders, and Mike who drove across several states to get there! I hope your hard work reminds everyone that people can make a difference, that even tricky problems have humane solutions, and that beavers are worth a dam or two!

Speaking of dams, apparently our beavers are so highly regarded that this morning even an angel came to visit them.

Angel visits beaver dam — Angel Visits Beaver Dam - Great Egret by Heidi Perryman

Blind ‘Eye’ on the East Bay

heidi08 Environmental, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Recent Sightings, Why We Care July 9, 2012

So the ‘blessed event’ won a belated mention from the foot-dragging Contra Costa times who repeated the announcement in their collective column saying:

While The Eye understands the giddiness the new kit has caused among Martinez beaver enthusiasts, we wonder about all the breathless news coverage. After all, wild animals reproducing is hardly unusual.

First of all, referring to yourself as “The Eye” borders on delusional and is furthermore deeply, deeply annoying. Second of all, people are happy about the beavers because they overcame adversity. Like the eentsy weentsy spider. Like the ant on the rubber tree plant. Like the youngest billy goat brother. See first the city wanted them dead, then they wanted them gone, then the mom was actually dead AND gone, and still despite all this we have a new kit! The new kit we never expected! It’s called HOPE. It’s that thing with feathers!

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune–without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

But not the Contra Costa Times

Because “The Eye” can’t see.

Apologies to Emily Dickinson

Hrmph. Now that I got that snark outta my system, I will tell you that we saw the baby last night! After the fourth of July bruhaha we saw nothing on Thursday, nothing on Friday, nothing on Saturday, and were almost in despair. But last night the baby made an appearance by the bank hole and again by the secondary dam! Cheryl snapped some photos that we’ll try and get up soon. I got video of his little beaver butt diving underwater again, but am expecting better things will follow. I’m just glad he’s still there, and healthy.

We were buoyant when we left, and the beavers seemed shiny and bright. A young couple drove from San Jose just to see them and were rewarded with several sightings! She said that beavers were her favorite animal and that she was from Texas. I can’t think of a better place to spread the beaver gospel, so I hope she talks about this magical night forever!