Hummer
01-12-2016, 22:25
...swimming in the river water under the ice and snow.
Late his afternoon I was in the living room talking with my neighbor who said she'd seen an otter on the river about three weeks ago. The otter dove into a pool in front of the house. It's the first otter she's seen in two years here. At the moment she told me this, I looked up the river--all covered in snow and ice--to see an adult otter bounding up the river corridor over the snow and rounding the bend to the right.
Just as the otter moved out of sight, another otter came into view and followed around the bend. Two adult otters! Big critters, about 30" long.
The river is frozen with few or no open spots now. I might go open a hole or two tomorrow. Otters will swim for long distances under the ice. Catching air pockets is important. Above the snow they have other foraging opportunities but also are more vulnerable to predation. I walked up the river to check out the otter tracks which go in two by two leaps, one foot just behind the other, and a heavy tail dragging over the snow.
Pretty neat, how many people ever get to see something like that? I will be keeping my eyes pealed for any movement on the river.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/COHummer/Animals/RiverView3-17-10.jpg (http://s59.photobucket.com/user/COHummer/media/Animals/RiverView3-17-10.jpg.html)
From right to left, otter tracks and slide.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/COHummer/Animals/OtterSlideIntoRiver.jpg
Otter pups in June by the cabin
(http://s59.photobucket.com/user/COHummer/media/Animals/OtterSlideIntoRiver.jpg.html)
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/COHummer/Animals/RiverOtter2Juv0435.jpg (http://s59.photobucket.com/user/COHummer/media/Animals/RiverOtter2Juv0435.jpg.html)
Late his afternoon I was in the living room talking with my neighbor who said she'd seen an otter on the river about three weeks ago. The otter dove into a pool in front of the house. It's the first otter she's seen in two years here. At the moment she told me this, I looked up the river--all covered in snow and ice--to see an adult otter bounding up the river corridor over the snow and rounding the bend to the right.
Just as the otter moved out of sight, another otter came into view and followed around the bend. Two adult otters! Big critters, about 30" long.
The river is frozen with few or no open spots now. I might go open a hole or two tomorrow. Otters will swim for long distances under the ice. Catching air pockets is important. Above the snow they have other foraging opportunities but also are more vulnerable to predation. I walked up the river to check out the otter tracks which go in two by two leaps, one foot just behind the other, and a heavy tail dragging over the snow.
Pretty neat, how many people ever get to see something like that? I will be keeping my eyes pealed for any movement on the river.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/COHummer/Animals/RiverView3-17-10.jpg (http://s59.photobucket.com/user/COHummer/media/Animals/RiverView3-17-10.jpg.html)
From right to left, otter tracks and slide.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/COHummer/Animals/OtterSlideIntoRiver.jpg
Otter pups in June by the cabin
(http://s59.photobucket.com/user/COHummer/media/Animals/OtterSlideIntoRiver.jpg.html)
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/COHummer/Animals/RiverOtter2Juv0435.jpg (http://s59.photobucket.com/user/COHummer/media/Animals/RiverOtter2Juv0435.jpg.html)