Just back from Sweden and I thought it might be fitting to post a beaver image, bearing in mind their return this week to Scotland's wetlands after an absence of several hundred years. It's frustrating that the animal itself is not that easy to photograph - in the water they are effectively a floating log. The really interesting thing about beavers is what they do. In Bergslagen they are VERY active with dams and extensive felling very evident. Contrary to the popular press, they don't however, eat fish...or steal babies from prams.
"Contrary to the popular press, they don't however, eat fish...or steal babies from prams." Huh? Where did you hear that? Also did you know you can eat them on lent as they were classed as a fish by the Catholic Church?
Nice image Peter, and appropriate with the recent release.
As to the re introduction (highly debatable if they were ever in Argyll at all). ..... that project is something that will attract attention for those harvesting the grants made available for it. It was interesting to note that the lodge the organisers made for the newcomers to settle into was quickly destroyed much to the surprise of those in charge. It's a bugger when things don't go according to plan.
They might not eat fish, but neither do sitka spruce plantations, although both do destroy the breeding habitat of them.
Interesting that I get paid to shoot any deer in my areas of natural regeneration, but if beavers come in and decide to wreck havoc with our river systems and the natural riparian woods around it them we just have to go along with it in the name of re-establishing an ancient species into an area that no one can really be sure they were ever in in the first p[lace.
Lovely setting to the image,beautiful light, very nice
Posted by Mark Hamblin on June 3, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Great shot of our native wetland engineer that has rightfully been reintroduced as a key element in the riparian ecosystem. Left alone nature will get along just fine. The world has gone nuts but re-introducing native species into appropriate habitats is about as rational as it gets.
Posted by Peter Cairns on June 3, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Hi John
I have a great deal of sympathy with your view on what often seem like inconsistent land management policies. I also agree about sitka plantations! What I would say about beavers - irrespective of the politics surrounding their return - is that in my (reasonable) experience, the habitats in which they are active are amongst the most biologically rich I've ever seen in northern Europe. Yes they often look 'untidy' but no-one can question the amount of life that is subsequently supported.
Well I think that the ambience of this shot is just great and I like it very much for that as much as anything, but I can sympathise with the problem of photographing them. They do swim pretty low in the water don't they.
I just wonder if the re-introductionists really take into account the increase in the human population and the alteration in land-use that has occurred since some of these species were last here. Sooner or later, these re-introduced species will end up in conflict with human beings again and then what? What happens when they reach the fens and they start digging channels through the banks of the delph? Will they have to go the same way as the coypu? I sometimes think we would do better just to leave well alone.
In the meantime I will gladly take any shots that come my way, enjoy them for what they are and hope one day to get one as good as this.
Lovely atmospheric shot, whatever the pros and cons of reintroduction.
Couldn't the money be better spent on native animals currently on the brink in this country, red squirrels and wild cats? Instead of reintroducing lost species? Or will we wait until they're extinct then try to reintroduce them? Just a thought....
Hi Dawn, A good deal of money is currently being spent on red squirrel conservation in many parts of the UK but unfortunately this is not the case for the Scottish wildcat. The Cairngorms Wildcat Project has recently been launched to try to redress this but is subject to very limited funding at present. Check out www.highlandtiger.com for more information and find out how to help. More funds required universally but always hard to determine which species is more worthy of our support and there will always be supporters and opponents fighting their cause.
Maybe re- intros are OK where the cause of the demise of the species no longer exists . I think in these islands it is a lost cause with a species such as this. We are still here !
Do we all really think honestly, for example that red Kites would be doing so well were it not for the masses of food being dumped out for them for commercial and egotistical gain ?
I doubt if road kill and the comp from corvids would keep them around for long. Things change.
Just my views.
Great pic anyway. Don't know about the crop but it would be nicer a bit smaller maybe,with the animal swimming into shotas opposed to out of it.
Cheers
JohnR
Let's be honest what makes the species dissapear in the first place, evolution or nature taking it's own cause with various environments or as what seems to be more the case, us humans who cause much of the environmental damage. Surely it would just goin round in circles!?
Either way it's a nice image - I'm not entirely sure on re-intros ?
Fantastic shot I really like this the light and POV is spot on. A very difficult species to get to grips with I have tried myself in Sweden and failed everytime.
Discussion
24 repliesCanon 1dIIn, 500mm, ISO200.
Peter Cairns
www.northshots.com
Nice image Peter, and appropriate with the recent release.
David
Scott
Edwin Kats
Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk
As to the re introduction (highly debatable if they were ever in Argyll at all). ..... that project is something that will attract attention for those harvesting the grants made available for it. It was interesting to note that the lodge the organisers made for the newcomers to settle into was quickly destroyed much to the surprise of those in charge. It's a bugger when things don't go according to plan.
They might not eat fish, but neither do sitka spruce plantations, although both do destroy the breeding habitat of them.
Interesting that I get paid to shoot any deer in my areas of natural regeneration, but if beavers come in and decide to wreck havoc with our river systems and the natural riparian woods around it them we just have to go along with it in the name of re-establishing an ancient species into an area that no one can really be sure they were ever in in the first p[lace.
The effing world's gone nuts
John
Great image ,love the ambiance and lighting.
I have a great deal of sympathy with your view on what often seem like inconsistent land management policies. I also agree about sitka plantations! What I would say about beavers - irrespective of the politics surrounding their return - is that in my (reasonable) experience, the habitats in which they are active are amongst the most biologically rich I've ever seen in northern Europe. Yes they often look 'untidy' but no-one can question the amount of life that is subsequently supported.
Pete
I just wonder if the re-introductionists really take into account the increase in the human population and the alteration in land-use that has occurred since some of these species were last here. Sooner or later, these re-introduced species will end up in conflict with human beings again and then what? What happens when they reach the fens and they start digging channels through the banks of the delph? Will they have to go the same way as the coypu? I sometimes think we would do better just to leave well alone.
In the meantime I will gladly take any shots that come my way, enjoy them for what they are and hope one day to get one as good as this.
Well done!
Greetings,
Jeroen Stel
Ian
Couldn't the money be better spent on native animals currently on the brink in this country, red squirrels and wild cats? Instead of reintroducing lost species? Or will we wait until they're extinct then try to reintroduce them? Just a thought....
Do we all really think honestly, for example that red Kites would be doing so well were it not for the masses of food being dumped out for them for commercial and egotistical gain ?
I doubt if road kill and the comp from corvids would keep them around for long. Things change.
Just my views.
Great pic anyway. Don't know about the crop but it would be nicer a bit smaller maybe,with the animal swimming into shotas opposed to out of it.
Cheers
JohnR
Either way it's a nice image - I'm not entirely sure on re-intros ?
Drew
And all credit to the various organizations that pushed ahead with this project in the face of considerable opposition. Now for England.
Cheers
Terry
Great stuff nature photography at its best
Danny