For the City Mice who have no idea what you’re looking at, I shall explain.

These stumps are evidence of beavers. Using their rather large incisors, they have ‘chopped’ down a whole bunch of trees and have dragged them to the location of their lodge. These are actually rather small sized trees– I’ve seen much bigger back by the lodge in the watershed. These have been taken down pretty recently, I’d say. The chips on the ground in the close up haven’t even begun to change color.

This is all going on across the levy from the lake. No where near the watershed lodge. This is how I know it’s the beavers’ kids that are making new lodges.

The beavers we have in America are monogamous. They pair bond for life, live and work in the same lodge. Beaver lodges are very cool but that’s for another day. The young do not disburse until they are two. The offspring are born and they stay in the lodge through the winter. When a new litter is born in the spring, the one year olds remain with the family and help raise the new litter, make repairs to the lodge and such. They over winter again and then say good bye and go on their merry way to find a mate and make a new home.

That’s what’s happening.