My home is in Fairfax County in Virginia. There are over a million county residents in a sprawl that leaves very little green space. A side effect is that there is a significant problem with storm water runoff. To deal with it, the county created a series of stream valley parks with dams to trap sediment and control runoff. There is one of these lake/dams near my neighborhood.
When the weather is nice, I take a walk along the lake shore. In the last few months, I've noticed a beaver lodge near the spot where a stream flows into the lake. And if I time my walk right, I have a good chance of seeing at least one member of the beaver pair swimming around, nibbling on leaves, or foraging along the shore. I've had several opportunities to see them late in the day after the shade of the surrounding trees darkens that entire end of the lake.
I've taken my camera along a few times, hoping for a shot or two of the beavers. The conditions are challenging, with low light, dark backgrounds, and dark animals. I'm using a 300mm lens at f4 and about 1/320 second and ISO 800 or higher. Sharp shots are hard to get. When the beaver is close enough for a good shot, it is also likely to see me, slap its tail on the water, and dive.
But, with persistence, I've managed a few keepers.
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| Coming Right At Me |
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| Nose High |
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| Nose High Again |
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| Better Light This Time |
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| Towing a Branch Around |
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| Droplets on Whiskers |
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| Dinner with the Tail Showing |
There are lots of tree stumps around the lake; the beavers have been busy. Some of the trees were planted after the county drained the lake to remove sediment a few years ago. I fear it's only a matter of time before the park authority decides that these animals are too destructive, at which time the trappers might get a call to remove them.
