Last Sunday, before social-distancing rules really kicked in, H and I went for a walk down to the Dubh Loch in Knapdale, just to see what the beavers had been up to over the winter. Answer: plenty. Here are some photos of what was easily-seen and which shows examples of beaver signs for those who’ve not seen them before.
Yes, busy as as beaver is a thing.
Beaver feeding station beside Loch Coille-Bhar
Reinforced dam on the Dubh Loch
The beavers’ technique for building dams shows well here, where they’ve reinforced the Dubh Loch dam.
The flooded Dubh loch area, with standing deadwood.
Beaver lodge on the shore of Loch Coille-Bhar.
This whole area is flooded, or at least much wetter, than it was before the beavers dammed the Dubh Loch. Standing trees have died and are falling, opening the whole area up.
A tree felled by the beavers beside the track.
This ditch has been used by the beavers as a canal – in fact, it has been dammed further along to improve it. They’ve been feeding on some of the sticks here at the end of it.
A small dam on a ditch running away from the Dubh Loch. improving the canal above it. Note plenty of beaver sticks where they’ve been feeding.
Elsewhere in the woods, pools have been created by damming small burns. Sticks are laid lengthwise in the water and mud and other debris is pushed up behind it. The mud dam may yet be reinforced with more sticks.
Patrick Mackie 
Isn’t it still okay to be out and about, provided you keep your distance?
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This was last Sunday, so before the rules kicked in. I’ve been working from home since Wednesday. However, because I live right out in the country, I can get some decent walks in right from my front door and without encountering anyone.
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Just watched Ray Mears host of Wild Britain and Alan Bantick (?) explaining how beavers from Norway were introduced into Argyll in 2009 after 400 years absence and how they are increasing wetlands significantly by damming up small lochs and causing them to fuse with other lochs leading to fivefold increase in retained water volume. If theres a downside to this he didnt mention one. Sound like they are thriving and producing habitat for innumerable other species.
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