This morning one of our just-barely-yearlings came back with the typical branch at 6:00. I expected him to toss it hap-hazzardly in the direction of what was once a dam as he’s been doing, but them I noticed there was an actual DAM at the secondary and I started to pay closer attention. I didn’t know if an adult had done this during the night after despairing of JR’s abilities but I didn’t expect much from the little one. They haven’t show many ‘busy as a beaver’ qualities just yet. I have an unproven theory that GQ is near by but not residing with our three, and every now and then he dumps off a bundle of willow and does some real building in the hopes that he’ll inspire some action. Looks like he succeeded.
Bob Arnebeck told me once that beavers find work ‘irresistible’, and that when one’s doing it the others are compelled to join in. I think that it might be true that another beaver working is irresistible, but also that a single beaver can find his OWN work irresisitible! So that once a beaver does it once, mudding or carrying or pulling, they are likely to do it again. That was certainly true this morning, as this pattern happened several more times with blackberries, willow, reeds and mud before he finally picked his way back up to the primary dam to sleep for the day.
With all the new willow around I figured something must have been taken during the night. A homeless man pointed me in the direction of the nearest target, one of the willow we planted behind Bulldogs BBQ. I had thought they were all gone already but the cut trees are all coppicing like crazy and there is tons of new growth. I know our three are old enough but I can’t help but wonder proudly whether one of our ‘babies’ took this down? Sniff. They grow up so fast.
It’s supposed to rain this weekend. I swear if it floods out this little dam I will personally march down there with a sump pump, an umbrella and sandbags. I guess that’s pretty extreme. They’re beavers after all. Okay, maybe not the umbrella.
