I recently spent some time in Western New York state, outside of Buffalo visiting my Mom. We started nearly everyday with a walk at a park nearby called Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve. This small, 292 acre park has numerous ponds, many of which have evidence of beavers and muskrats in them.
So now, put yourself in my shoes at this park…. it is getting close to dark. You are listening to lots of birds including Canada Geese and Red-winged Blackbirds. As you are walking down the narrow trail, a huge beaver climbs out of the water on one side of the trail and ambles across to the other side–right in front of you! Wow, what a cool animal. You look out across the water and watch a beaver tooling around, then see another feeding on the aquatic roots of the water lilies. He is chewing loudly! On another visit you watch a beaver feeding in a patch of willows, submerged by the recent rains. Every once in a while he pulls his heavy body out of the water to bend down another stalk, to reach its fresh leaves.
Check it out here:
Have you ever watched a beaver? Where were you? Have you seen evidence of them where you live? To learn more about beavers, check out this post I wrote a while back–ten a things you may not know about beavers or this one, about how beaver’s use their long, flat tails. (Hint, they don’t use it to pack down mud in their lodges! But what do they use it for? Find out HERE!)
See you again soon! Have a great day!
I remember seeing them in the boundary waters and in a marsh near the Mississippi. Mostly noticed their work, their homes and some impressively large trees that they take down. Do you know if there are currently beavers at the Pink Beds?
Yes, I too have seen them in the Boundary Waters–this is a wonderful, special place! I need to return. …as for Pink Beds, I haven’t been there in a long time so I don’t know. I will make it a point to plan a hike there soon.