As I walked up to the aqueduct to look into the canal under it, something splashed behind me. I turned to look. A Belted Kingfisher, slammed into the water, then darted away toward the eastern bank in a flash of blue and silver.
But there was a huge wake left behind, rolling lines of moving water....what the heck...no five ounce swallow did that....even if it was carrying a coconut. Something big and brown eeled into the cattails on the other side of the small canal.
River Otters! There were three of them, one of which appeared to be a pup. They never saw me even after I sneaked up onto the aqueduct ramp and wore the camera battery down taking photos.
Snaky grace, all smooth and liquid, so close I could hear their jaws crunching the huge crayfish they were harvesting and the rustle of the cattails when they went in after frogs.
Efficient killing machines, they ate dozens while I watched. Alas, I blinked first. We had to come home to babysit. Many thanks to the kingfisher for pointing them out.
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6 comments:
Otters are alway a real treat to watch!
So much fun to be had in nature. Love, Mom
How fun those photos are. We don't have otters here, although, I think there are beavers in the mountains.
OW, I loved watching them. Sad to have to leave before they did.
Mom, there really is. So much to see if only you look...and if you are as blind as I am, listen. Love you
Linda, they are quite rare here. We usually see them once a year and I don't we have ever seen them twice. I wouldn't run out of fingers counting how many times I have seen them in a lifetime spent outdoors.
Wow! What a great gander you got of these critters! I see their tracks in the snow in the winter, and once a head popped up in a pond near me, but glimpses, only glimpses! Very secretive, these guys. I KNOW they live here, because I see their signs, frequently. How wonderful that you got to actually GAZE at them! Thanks for sharing your evidence that they exist in more than my imagination.
Jacqueline, it was magical and came at a time when we could all use some magic in our lives. I was very grateful.
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