Breakfast Time For Beaver

The last few posts have been from an early morning shoot at Mission Marsh. I arrived just before sunrise and spent some time watching the sun come up over the Sleeping Giant and across the lake and if you go back over the past few posts you will see some of the amazing shots I captured. 

The reason for my visit however was to search for beavers. A few days before I had been for a walk nearby and I had seen the freshly chewed stump of a felled tree and not far away was the tree itself, abandoned across the path and I figured that we had disturbed the beaver and it had run off to take cover. We searched for a little while around the edge of a small lagoon but without luck and I determined to come back in the morning to see if I would have any better luck.

As you can see from these pictures I was not disappointed. As I walked along the edge of the pool I heard a splash and turned just in time to see the ripples as a beaver disappeared beneath the cold water. I thought that that might be my last sighting of a beaver but decided to hang around for a while longer and I am so glad I did because I was able to watch not one but four beavers busily working on preparing their lodge for winter and having breakfast. I was so excited that I went back a couple of days later and the whole family of five beavers were there. This has to have been one of the highlights of my visit and an experience I hope I will never forget.

Later on the day of my second visit I went to see the Fort William museum, a replica of the original trading post on the banks of the Kaministiquia river. Although it was a fascinating insight into the history of this region and the importance of the fur trade to the prosperity and growth of the North West territories it was also sad to see piles of furs/pelts including beaver that were shipped to Europe and used to make  top hats in London. I thought about the family of beavers I had watched that morning and I was pleased that they would be safe from trappers because they have the good fortune to live in a conservation area.

Beware The Bear

From the very first moment the trip to Canada was planned I was excited about the different wildlife I would get to see. I was pretty certain that I would see eagles and I knew if we picked the right time of year Hummingbirds were a safe bet, and there was no doubt about deer, skunks and chipmunks but a bear, as much as I hoped I didn't really expect to see one. However on day two of the trip on the long drive across country a huge Black Bear crossed the road ahead of the car. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a shot of it but it was such a thrill to see its great bulk lumbering across the highway.

A day or so later our friends took us to the Fort William Reservation (First Nation) and a short stop at the dump was rewarded with an opportunity to get close up with a beautiful bear. It was a little sad to see this majestic beast rummaging through the trash but it was also a genuine thrill and we sat for a while until he slowly walked off into the forest. I have more pictures of the bear which no doubt I will come back to in time but for now enjoy...