Evidence of a beaver's work

This week's featured photo is a subject that has intrigued me since my childhood.

This tree is a willow with a trunk diameter of about 12 inches, which is large by willow standards. Live willows provide a favorite food for beavers. Only the beavers gnawing this tree down know for sure its intended use. Are they cutting this tree for use on a dam? Or are they cutting it to get at the live bark and tender small limbs higher up?

Because I found this freshly cut tree standing in a shallow swamp where no beaver dam will be built, and because the log this tree will produce is too large for beavers to easily move in such a location, I am pretty sure it is being cut for winter food. A beaver lodge was nearby.

The beaver is the only wild animal with the ability to cut down large trees. Lucky is the man who gets to witness a large tree being felled by beavers. It may take several days for a single adult beaver to cut down a tree with a 12-inch or larger diameter, and quite often the tree will be abandoned.

This is an easy image to capture once you find it. Waiting for freezing weather and snow will increase the possibility of capturing a pleasing image. Good lighting is a must to show the beaver's teeth marks upon the wood of the tree. Also, it is imperative to know that the cuts on the tree will age quickly and the fresh bright yellow color will erode and become dull with changing weather and time.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell.