Elk Rapids Almanac - November 2021
November 19- Fish is the primary diet of eagles. While they hunt live prey, eagles are opportunistic predators and not above scavenging on carrion or stealing prey from other animals. Theft could be behind my recent eagle sighting over east bay along US 31. While stopped at a light, I observed an eagle flying north with a large fish in its talons. A seagull was in close pursuit, appearing determined to get the fish. The light turned green so I was unable to see how it played out. On average an eagle requires ½-1 pound of food daily but does not need to eat every day. The bird is able to gorge on up to 2 pounds and hold leftovers in it crop, a food storage area. _Ellen Baird.
November 30-The river beaver has been busy building a lodge. Beavers are large semi aquatic rodents native to the northern hemisphere. They are master builders. They use their strong orange teeth to cut down trees (see image below) to build their water-based lodges. These orange teeth are very strong because they contain iron, which is what makes the teeth orange. _Christine Petersen.
NOTE: Beavers are a natural component of our waterways. I like to call them nature's hydrologist. They can cause a headache by causing flooding, but in general, they are not worrisome parts of the ecosystem. This is a nice fact sheet: How Do Beaver Dams Affect The Environment? — Forest Wildlife. _Heather Smith, BayKeeper, GT Watershed Center.
November 19- Fish is the primary diet of eagles. While they hunt live prey, eagles are opportunistic predators and not above scavenging on carrion or stealing prey from other animals. Theft could be behind my recent eagle sighting over east bay along US 31. While stopped at a light, I observed an eagle flying north with a large fish in its talons. A seagull was in close pursuit, appearing determined to get the fish. The light turned green so I was unable to see how it played out. On average an eagle requires ½-1 pound of food daily but does not need to eat every day. The bird is able to gorge on up to 2 pounds and hold leftovers in it crop, a food storage area. _Ellen Baird.
November 30-The river beaver has been busy building a lodge. Beavers are large semi aquatic rodents native to the northern hemisphere. They are master builders. They use their strong orange teeth to cut down trees (see image below) to build their water-based lodges. These orange teeth are very strong because they contain iron, which is what makes the teeth orange. _Christine Petersen.
NOTE: Beavers are a natural component of our waterways. I like to call them nature's hydrologist. They can cause a headache by causing flooding, but in general, they are not worrisome parts of the ecosystem. This is a nice fact sheet: How Do Beaver Dams Affect The Environment? — Forest Wildlife. _Heather Smith, BayKeeper, GT Watershed Center.
