So our wikipedia-wonderkin physician/historian friend RL in the South Bay has been working hard to find pictures of the beavers at Los Gatos Creek to add them to the wikipedia entry. He recently connected with Mondy Lariz, president of the SPCWC (Stevens and Permanente Watershed Council) who connected him with photographer Mercury Freedom. He presented him with a host of breath-stealing photos which demonstrate both his fine camera skills and his compassionate attention to the natural world. To get you oriented, here is a view of the upper Los Gatos Creek which connects to Lexington Reservoir.
Photos: Mercury Freedom
I, of course, was especially interested in seeing the beavers. That sure looks like a great place to be a beaver, no? But how do you know there are beavers there anyway? I’ve seen lots of people call muskrats beavers, or otters beavers. How would they have gotten there? Hitchike? I still want to see proof.
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Look at that lovely curving pair of dams. I defy your finest landscaper to make anything that pretty. Or that sturdy. See how the upper one makes almost a right angle? I can only imagine that there’s some kind of stone or stump in the water that provided motivation for it. I’m sure it makes sense in a way we can’t understand.Mercury thank you so much for taking these photos and agreeing to share them with us. I guess those dams look beaver-made. Still beavers are driven out of areas all the time, especially near reservoirs. They may have been killed or chased off. I still want proof that there are beavers in Los Gatos creek. Where’s the family? Any pair of dams that polished must have a healthy colony to take care of it. I’m guessing two strong adults, a couple of yearlings, and some new kits. They are best seen in the morning or twilight. Did you catch anything like that?
Now that is a LOVELY family. Ohhh it makes me so sad we didn’t have kits this year. Remember what its like to see them all together, riding on brother’s back or whining at mom. These photos are a rare treat. But what about the lodge? Bank lodges are subtle and hard to find, and in a creek that narrow there isn’t room for an island lodge. This beautiful family needs someplace cozy to sleep in the day. Did you find anything like that?
Photos: Mercury Freedom
And there you have it. The complete chapter 1 about the Los Gatos beavers, thanks to Mercury Freedom, Mondy Lariz, and our wikipedia friend RL. Just another example of the string of connections that can be laced together to make a network of creek and beaver advocates. What a delightful find for us. Let’s all get out there and locate a secret colony of our very own.
