Certainly, beavers are pretty common creatures but not one that I have had many opportunities to photograph. This past weekend, a couple of them made an appearance in this canyon southwest of Denver.

One was busy gnawing on a small tree it had cut down and pulled to the river. The other was quite content to just swim around in a calm part of the river.

The American beaver is the largest rodent in the United States, reaching 2 to 3 feet in length not counting their tail. One interesting tidbit about them is that their teeth are constantly growing, thus necessitating their constant chewing to keep them from growing too long.

While quite common, Beavers are a form of wildlife not often seen. They prefer to stay out of sight and are shy around people. On this morning last week though, three of them were quite busy along the South Platte River southwest of Denver, Colorado. They continually made trips from their lodges to the sides of the river where they grabbed sticks and hauled them back home. It was well shaded and I didn’t have quite enough lens to get good close-ups but it was fun to see them, something I have only done a few times.