Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Autumn Walk on PEI

The weather this past weekend was impeccable.  Truly outstanding.  Sun shining, warm temperatures, it was a weekend meant to be spent out of doors.


We took a walk along the Breadalbane Nature Trail on Saturday.  Following the Dunk river for six and a half kilometers through the woods, it was a great way to spend the afternoon.


The peak of the fall colour has passed at this point.  There are more leaves on the ground than in the trees.


But there was still plenty to see, and nothing more fun than kicking up piles of leaves underfoot as we walked.


We spotted squirrels, blue jays, and partridge along the way.  But perhaps the most interesting was this tree.


That's beaver damage.  The chips all around the base, the proximity to the river and the shape of the cut are all indicators.  Not to mention the teeth marks.


Can you see the grooves in the wood from the individual teeth?  I was surprised at the size of the tree this animal was trying to take down.  It must have taken some time to carve out that chunk of wood.  And it will likely get the prize too with a little help from mother nature.  With this much wood taken out  of the tree base insects and fungus will move in, add a little wind and this tree won't be standing much longer.

26 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

It is always interesting to see how a beaver attacks a tree. This is one determined beaver.

Unknown said...

What a lovely world you have there to take a walk. That beaver work is pretty amazing. How optimistic he must be to take on such a big tree. Would love to see how they get something that big into place. Glad to hear you missed the big storm.

Lea said...

Lovely walk!
I think the beaver probably came back and finished the job when he was sure you were a safe distance away!
Have a wonderful day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

RURAL said...

What beautiful weather, we get bits and pieces like that, but still some rain.

Those beavers sure can do a lot of damage, in a short time. There is a park where we used to live that has every tree wired, because of the beavers.

Jen

Rose said...

I'm amazed beavers would attempt felling such a large tree; another afternoon's work, and he won't have to wait for a strong wind! Such a lovely place to walk; I'm glad Sandy didn't reach your home.

Enjoyed your last post with all the frosty images.

Jennifer said...

It strikes me that the beaver must make himself vulnerable to predators for an extended time in order to chew away at that large tree. There is therefore quite a bit of bravery as well as determination evident in that rather large indent. He is smart to leave the rest of the job to the wind.

The Witch said...

Oh My God!!!
We were also there on Saturday around 11:45 until 1:30 and I'm wondering if I saw you guys entering as we were leaving. This is so weird. We also took the same picture of that tree but you must have noticed how many trees that had been started and then left for further cutting. Did you see the big beaver dam? It has been there for years and keeps getting bigger and bigger. The actual top of the dam has roots growing and producing fruit.
It is one of the best trails because you don't have to back track and it goes from pines to deciduous trees in a minute. There was one spot where the whole ground cover was red I'm sure you have some pictures of that.
We were looking for a good spot to hide our 2nd Geo-cache. This is another reason why I haven't been blogging. I'm just having too much fun.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

We have beaver here and see old damage, nothing like the one you came across! wow! They are really destructive animals. Most our leaves blew down with the outer wind bands from Sandy.

The Sage Butterfly said...

My goodness, that is frightening. It seems as if it would be best to just give the tree to the beavers before it falls. However, as you say, it will happen soon anyway. They have such strong teeth.

Melanie J Watts said...

Beavers are destructive aren't they, its not just the trees. In my other life, as a sheep farmer, the neighbours, cattle farmers, used to blow up their dams to keep the rivers flowing. They needed the water for their cattle. Of course they did it regularly, every few years, the beavers just kept right on rebuilding their dams.

Casa Mariposa said...

That's an industrious beaver! We have beavers here that occasionally have to be relocated because their dams cause flooding. Gorgeous nature walk!

Marguerite said...

My thought too Lisa, you have to be determined to think you can take on a tree that size.

Marguerite said...

Tufa, I wondered too, when it comes down, how in the world do they think they'll move it?

Marguerite said...

you may be right that we were being watched. Beavers are pretty good at knowing when to disapear.

Marguerite said...

Jen, there's been plenty of rain here too but luckily some very nice days still thrown into the mix. It won't last much longer though which is why we thought we needed to get out while we could.

Marguerite said...

Rose, we were very lucky Sandy turned away from us but it's awful seeing the devestation others are going through. It's just shocking how many people were affected by that storm.

Marguerite said...

Jennifer, I hadn't really thought of that but you're right. It would have taken a significant amount of time to chew that tree, away from the safety of the water.

Marguerite said...

WOW, we were there around the exact same time. Left here around noon I think and returned home around 2 or 3? Is it possible we saw each other without knowing? There were a number of trees chewed on and we saw the dam as well but the camera batteries ran out! I too liked that you can do a complete circuit without the backtracking. We've been there once before but never did the full trail. I think we'll be back again.

Marguerite said...

Janet, we're pretty much stripped bare here now too. Very few leaves to be seen, it passes so quickly.

Marguerite said...

I think you should be quite careful on that trail on a windy day, we saw a few trees like this. I wonder if the beavers leave them half chewed on purpose knowing they will come down anyway.

Marguerite said...

Melanie, I remember years ago a beaver attempting to dam a creek on my parents property. Had it accomplished its task it would have flooded their property and a main road. I love beavers but they can be trouble.

Marguerite said...

Thanks Tammy. Such a great animal but they really do work against us don't they?

Anonymous said...

Those are very ambitious beavers to take on so large a tree. A very impressive sight. It looks like a delightful fall walk. -Jean

Island Threads said...

sounds like a lovely walk Marguerite, I love the way sunlight plays on leaves and the Beaver info is interesting, I hope this weekend is nice too, Frances

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Marguerite girl ... that must have been a wonderful walk with nature .. I wish our weather would turn nice so I could finally get the rest of the garden chores out of the way .. in nice weather it wouldn't be such a chore being outside breathing nice cool fresh air in.
Believe it or not we have beavers within our area here .. you can see little dams built in a stream we pass to go shopping .. sadly that part will be under construction to widen the road and build an over pass .. so what little creatures are there will move on to a safer area I hope.
Beautiful pictures Marguerite .. Fall will always be my favorite time of year : )
Joy

Debbie/GardenofPossibilities said...

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. I'm amazed at the damage the beaver did to that tree. Like some of your other readers, I can't help but wonder how long it took to chew through the tree.