Recently I was eating a peach when my co-worker began discussing the fruit. During the discussion, I remembered an incident in a tree close to Park Rill. Wally had planted peach trees next to the bush that grew along the edges of the stream. The distance between the bush and the first tree was eight feet. One afternoon I was in the orchard and on my way somewhere when I passed by one of those trees. Since it was peach season I was quite surprised to see a strange picker or should I say eater on a branch in the tree. Staying 10 feet away, I took a good look at the quilled beast while it munched on a peach. It didn’t seem to be bothered by my presence. After a time I just carried on and went about my business. I returned later to see if the porcupine had eaten the bark but it had not.

The strange thing is that the beavers that frequented Park Rill also did not like peach bark. I don’t think it was the roughness of the bark for they chewed pear trees which have rough bark too. I have never known of beavers eating the peach fruit but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.