Beaver Sighting

I've been making regular walks in the neighborhood, passing by the lake, looking for opportunities to photograph the beavers, foxes, and deer that are frequently there. The foxes and deer have been quite shy, running away at first sight or hiding in the shadows in the woods, meaning no photography is possible. But the beavers have been more cooperative.

Coming Right At Me, Tail Faintly Visible

Almost a Mirror Image

I'm not interested in lugging my big lens through the neighborhood so I've been using my 300mm f4. The beavers, deer, and foxes come out at dusk, which means lots of shadows, which means everything is dark. To get anything usable, I'm shooting wide open at about 1/500 sec, and ISO 1600. The dark brown animal in the dark brown water reflecting dark green trees and bushes in the shade means some pretty dim photos.

Beavers

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.

Coming Right At Me

Nose High

Nose High Again

Better Light This Time

Towing a Branch Around

Droplets on Whiskers

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.