This kit (four days away from being called a yearling, brace yourselves) was swimming muddily under the footbridge at 5:45 when I arrived. I thought I just saw the tail end of him but he kept right on swimming down, scouping mud, and going into the hole under the tree there. I have no idea what he was doing, but he was making a trail of mud under the water. At one point he swam to the secondary dam, and looked at it, touched the banks and then swam back.
In the meantime it seemed like an army of muskrats were on the move in every direction. One followed the beaver into his mudded hole and another clambered over the primary dam. I could not begin to explain why we seem to have no muskrats at all some months and millions the next, but this is definitely muskrat madness month, so enjoy.
After a bit more of this mudding drama the kit started to head upstream towards the primary dam. It is so shallow it riffles and this was a march. He was discouraged once by walkers on the bridge, but eventually made his way up the gravelly bed. It was terrifying to see him walk through what should be a swim, he is so vulnerable in so many ways, but lets hope it’s MOTIVATING to this little — umm — slacker.
Well, he hasn’t been completely slack. The dam does look better. More work on both sides of the pipe, although the right side is still running through with water and gaps so large a muskrat went through it. Hey guys, remember all that mud you were playing with at the footbridge? Just a suggestion but how about trying that on the sticks?
- primary dam 04-26-11
Beaver Festival review at the Parks, Recreation, Marina & Cultural Commission meeting tonight. If you’re free at 7 drop by the senior center and lend support for the fourth ever festival at the as-yet unnammed BEAVER PARK!!!!!!!!!!!
There’s way too much news this morning, but Jon’s hummingbird photo is up at the Cornell Urban bird website and facebook page, let’s praise the power companies when they get it right! I am also working on Cornell to start an “Urban beavers website”….but don’t hold your breath. I’m told they’ll blog about the relationship between beaver dams and songbirds soon!
