Beaver Diaries March 2024
Following up on last month’s “The Beaver Diaries February” our recent visit to Sculthorpe Moor Reserve on March 7th revealed lingering effects from February’s floods. While water levels have receded, much of the dragonfly meadow remained submerged, and accessing the reserve was challenging due to overflow from the river Wensum. Unfortunately, like last year at this time, beaver activity on the trail cameras appeared diminished, with no new signs of them in accessible areas, and work on expanding the main beaver lodge appeared to have halted.
First Signs of Spring
Access to the enclosure was once again limited to the scrape gate, due to the flooding in the dragonfly meadow. Along the track we startled a muntjac, and a pheasant loudly protested before taking flight. On the wetland were greylags, oystercatchers, shovellers, tufted duck, coot, lapwings, mallards, little grebe and black headed gulls. Overhead kites and buzzard circled.
Despite this, a pleasant surprise awaited in the woods. Here a camera captured excellent footage of a buzzard feeding near a gnawed tree. However, the primary focus on beaver activity yielded limited results. There were only a few instances of muntjac deer triggering the lodge camera. Nevertheless, at the far end of ODF (Oak Fen Drain) we captured one short video featured an adult beaver swimming with its kit.
On a brighter note, otters once again graced our footage, offering viewers excellent glimpses into their daily lives.
Second March visit
Our second March visit revealed promising signs of receding water levels. Despite lingering water in the dragonfly meadow necessitating a longer route via the scrape hide, it provided an opportunity to inspect the enclosure fence at the same time. The slightly warmer weather appeared to prompt avian activity, with birds showing early interest in nest building, particularly in some of the nest boxes along the oak fen drain path and within the wooded area of the beavers’ habitat.
Spring was definitely on its way with hawthorns in leaf, and catkins and pussy willows on the trees. A couple of coltsfoot brought a dash of bright yellow to the Oak Fen Drain track. Overhead kites and buzzards interacted, with the buzzards mewing loudly, before settling in the trees. Two beautiful brimstone butterflies flitted among the bright green flags. In the sunshine wrens, robins, blue tits, great tits , dunnocks, chiffchaff and reed warblers were singing. In the trees on the edge of the path there was evidence of a sparrowhawk kill, and a sparrowhawk darted through the trees.
On the scrape numerous black headed gulls called loudly. The usual greylags, lapwings and oystercatchers were present as were mallards, egyptian geese, shelduck, gadwall, tufted duck and coot.
However, our beaver friends seemed to have retreated from view, with minimal signs of feeding or activity around the lodge. Trail camera analysis yielded only a handful of sightings of them. These were of them swimming along OFD drain near the channel that leads into the wood. With the water levels easing, we took advantage of the opportunity to relocate some cameras to previously productive areas. Hopefully enhancing our ability to monitor their condition.
A delightful surprise awaited us as the trail cameras captured what appears to be a polecat. This was reminiscent of last summer’s sighting along the drain path. We eagerly anticipate our next visit, hoping for better footage and further insights into the activities of the beavers.
End of March
During a rare rain-free day, we finally managed to inspect the trail cameras. After nearly three months, the waters have begun to recede This allowed us entry into the beaver wood across the dragonfly meadow, for the first time this year. It revealed some intriguing signs of beaver activity.
Along the IDB stream there was evidence of beaver activity with some bark stripping of branches piled on haulouts. Unfortunately we had not got a camera in this position. At the end of the walk we moved a camera to this area. A bees nest was very active at the base of a tree on the dragonfly meadow.
There were signs of spring everywhere with chiffchaff, great tits, wrens, and goldfinches singing. A pheasant was sitting on a trees branches. Woodpeckers were drumming in the distance. We disturbed a grey heron and two little egrets flew overhead as we headed for the Poplar Pool and the Release Pool area. Here the water levels were still high, the woods were still flooded and there appeared to be no new beaver activity. Possibly indicating that this year the beavers main activity was in another area of the reserve.
Venturing further, we reached the stream at the end of the Oak Fen Drain. Here there was the remarkable sight: a large dam. This, it would appear, was constructed over the night of the 20th March. Sadly, one of our cameras, that was positioned to capture activity around this area, was submerged in the water. This was probably the result of the Beavers dragging logs down the bank. Nonetheless, our remaining cameras documented the bustling activity around the dam. It showed both kits and adults climbing, moving branches, and swimming in the pool formed by the dam’s barrier. It truly is an impressive feat of construction!
Vegetation had put on a growth spurt with nettles now along the OFD track and many trees were in leaf. More coltsfoot flowers have appeared and the purple flowers of ground ivy were evident. Brimstone and Peacock butterflies , and red and white tailed Bumble bees searched for nectar. A greylag goose was sitting on a nest at the side of the lodge.
On the scrape the usual birds were present with no new species being identified.
In addition to the beavers, our cameras captured other wildlife, including a pair of otters at the dam and exploring the flooded meadow. They also caught a Tawny Owl feeding directly in front of one camera. Surprisingly, some footage revealed adult beavers venturing out in the early evening, a behaviour not observed until late April last year.
Further along the oak fen drain, our trail cameras recorded regular sightings of beavers swimming past, likely commuting to and from the main lodge. While there was no new evidence of them feeding on trees along the drain, it seems they are currently focusing on grazing. Additionally, while the camera that recently captured a polecat had few triggers, we did catch a fleeting glimpse of the fox previously captured earlier in the year.
Accessing the wooded area is becoming easier, although some wading is still necessary due to the lingering flow from the Wensum. Our cameras positioned in the woods, particularly one at the lodge, captured a beaver rearranging logs and provided excellent daylight footage of a fox exploring the area.
| Otters | Fox | Muntjac |
| Tawny Owl | Polecat | Pheasant |
| Squirrel | Water vole | Mallard |
| Greylag Geese | Blackbird | Rat |
| Buzzard | Little Egret | Woodmouse |