Thought I was getting racy? These photos were taken at Weldon Springs CA this past spring when Dave, Miguel and I were hoping to score some photos of newly arriving birds. The birding was slow this day, if I remember correctly, but here is a fantastic example of why it is always worth while to get out as early as possible.
While standing on a low-water crossing the guys and I noticed a mass coming upstream towards us. It didn’t take long to discover that a beaver was on its way and would have to get by us to reach its destination farther upstream. We all shot away with our long lenses until this guy got closer than our minimum focal distances. It hesitated a bit and hurried back downstream as Miguel moved to get in a different position, but eventually climbed up the crossing and moved to the other side. He was so close to us during its crossing that Dave could have potentially petted him if he had wanted to.
This Stinkor was found in a nearby field later that same morning. The eyesight of both species is pretty awful. If you come across these guys, there is no need to be concerned. Simply move slowly and as silently as possible and you will likely have plenty of time to observe them without being noticed. I have had several close encounters with skunks and have never felt threatened with being sprayed.
-OZB
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 