I was lucky enough to book a space on an evening beaver safari with Daniele in July. I knew that wildlife sightings couldn’t be absolutely guaranteed (they are wild animals after all and unpredictable) but when the weather forecast for the evening started to look ok, I was quietly optimistic.
After a quick introductory talk about beavers, their anatomy and the history of the species in this area, our small group was led by Daniele down to the Perthshire river. We stopped along the way to look at feeding signs but also insects and wildflowers too. We tried some Sweet Cicely to see what one of the beavers’ favourite snacks tastes like – to me it was a rather unpleasant taste as I don’t like liquorice! But each to their own and I’m sure the beavers must get lots of nutrition from it.
As we wandered along the riverbank we were serenaded by birdsong and accompanied by swooping Swallows across the nearby fields. Then a ripple of excitement travelled through our group as the first glimpse of a beaver was revealed. Slightly giddy with excitement we all started scanning the river with our binoculars in case the fantastic beast reappeared.
Daniele ushered us along a bit further and then carefully led us down to a nice spot to sit opposite the beaver’s lodge. The drizzle that had tried to fall earlier had beat a hasty retreat and the breeze had dropped, leaving behind a beautifully still evening. I will never forget the otherworldly quality of that evening as we sat listening to Song Thrush, Wren and Chiffchaff belting out their melodies, punctuated by the shrill notes of a Kingfisher zipping past. This was only topped by a flyover by an Osprey! Maybe not that exciting if you live in Scotland but for an England dweller they are a real treat. Then an excited whisper and a pointing arm came from Daniele to ensure no one missed an adult beaver cruising along right in front of us. Mission achieved, fantastic view of a wild beaver – tick! I even managed to get a video on my phone, the creature was that obliging. The lovely thing about this experience is that the animals clearly are not bothered by the presence of small groups sitting quietly on the riverbank watching them. They exhibited natural behaviours, totally undisturbed by our presence.
We stayed at our riverside viewing area for the next few hours and were treated to views of another 3 adults cruising up and down the river, bringing large branches back with them and then loudly munching on food. It was quite comical how loud their eating noises were! The icing on the cake was when a very small kit appeared very briefly with its parent and then was swiftly ushered back under the safety of the trees near to the lodge. It may well have been the sweetest thing I’ve ever watched in real life. I was also delighted to see Dipper bobbing about on the river and Grey Wagtails flitting around between all the mammal activity.
When the beaver activity was subsiding and dusk was threatening to fall we meandered back to our cars. There were smiles from ear to ear amongst the group and I’m sure none of us will ever forget that magical wild encounter on a Perthshire river.
Thanks, Fiona, for that beautiful account of your beaver safari – it is very evocative! And your pictures are fantastic too. Daniele
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