Beavers Up Close


Three days ago I was headed home from Two Harbors. I figured I'd stop at the Split Rock wayside and spend a few minutes at the beach. That turned into about four hours. First I sat and just watched the waves coming in for a while and when I got bored of that I started looking at some of the roses on the eroding stream bank. I've found quite a few Diplolepis radicum galls there in the past, and today was no exception. I've only seen this species along the shoreline on eroding hills, which makes sense as they mostly gall underground on the rhizomes.m This is the only habitat that you see a bunch of rhizomes exposed at the surface. I'd guess that this species is pretty ubiquitous throughout the region though. 

Diplolepis radicum gall on a rose rhizome

While doing that I heard a few load slaps on the water, I kept looking back but could never find the culprit, I assumed it might be a fish jumping. Then on the third slapped I watched the water for a few minutes to try to figure it out. To my surprise a beaver emerged about ten feet from me. Over the course of maybe 15 minutes of waiting and slowly creeping forward I was able to get within a foot of the beaver, a little above it on the hill. I sat in watched it chomping away on some alders for a few hours or so. Then, I noticed 4 others slapping the water occasionally and swimming around the sand bar and up the river. I always forget how large they are until you get nice and up close. 

It's amazing how loud they can gnaw on the bark

I didn't plan on exploring in the muck so it took a while to get back out in my crocs

 

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