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Eliza Waters 
What do Otters do if rivers and woodpiles/homes are covered in deep snow, Eliza?
I see your river isn’t frozen, but the thought went through my mind on seeing the otter tracks.
They make their homes in dirt banks, under tree roots and brushy thickets. They have thick, oiled coats, so snow and cold, icy water is no problem to them. Water rolls right off. They catch small fish, crayfish and a myriad of other small prey, so they live quite well. Our fast-moving river rarely freezes over, so there are always places to come up for air even in the coldest winters when ice can be a foot thick.
❄️⛄️❄️⛄️❄️⛄️
A winter wonderland! 🙂
Oh I want to see them!!!!
Being nocturnal, we rarely see them, but a thrill to see their tracks nonetheless! 🙂
This is a beautiful sight.
Thanks, Anne. Always a thrill to catch a glimpse of their nocturnal ramblings.
Pingback: Silent Sunday – River Otter Tracks | Purplerays
What an amazing sight!
Always a thrill to see evidence that they are thriving here!
How very fun to know those cute creatures are your neighbors. It/they chose a beautiful area!
Thanks, Alice. Yes, they are the best of neighbors!
Do you ever see the otters?
Rarely, being nocturnal, and only a handful of times over the years. The slides confirm their presence, which always makes me happy. 🙂
You ‘otter’ follow those tracks and see where they lead!
🙂 I assume that they have a den in a mud bank somewhere, under a gnarled tree root perhaps. Last Dec. we saw three separate slides, so I believe that the third was a pup that made it to adulthood, a happy thought.
That’s really great. I’ve seen them down at the bay a couple of times. When we get substantial river flooding, they’ll sometimes get sent downstream; they’ve learned how to get onto floating docks. Eventually, they head back home.
How exciting! Do you ever get to see an otter in person? The landscape looks so pretty covered in snow. I missed that this winter.
Thanks, Barbara. They are nocturnal, so sightings are rare, only a few times in 30 years. But a thrill when we do see them or their tracks. 🙂
Christmas card worthy! Love them!
🤗
What a treat to see!
Oh, yes, it truly is, Val. I love that they live in our river.
How exciting. I imagine you see the otter often.
They are nocturnal, so sightings are rare. Their tracks in winter are what we mostly see, confirming their presence. In Dec. we saw three slides around our waterfall, letting us know that a pup from last summer made it to adulthood, hurrah!
Two lovely scenes. I hope you get a glimpse of the otters. 😊
Being nocturnal, they are elusive, but on the rare occasion we do see them during the day, it is a thrill.
Ah, that explains why I rarely see the ones that live nearby. 😉
Oh so exciting to see the river otter tracks. I think one of the best things about snow is seeing the paths of our wildlife friends. Beautiful scenery and photos, Eliza.
Thank you, Jet. Yes, snow reveals our neighbors’ comings and goings. Always fun to see. 🙂
Oh, gosh! Enthralled by those sleek creatures. We have them in Maine. But I have never seen them. Have you seen them where you live?
Only a few sightings all these years, mostly we see their tracks in winter. I love seeing them slide in the snow around the waterfall. They are so playful!
What an enchanting sight that must be!
Oh! How lovely! I hope you also get to see the otters themselves (and share with us, of course!)
Thanks, Dale. Being mostly nocturnal, we rarely see them and they are so quick, even if I did whip my camera out in time, they’d be a blur!
Yes, I bet. You’d have to sit there all night and hope! Forget I mentioned it 😉
Ha, yeah, I’m not that into seeing them! 😀
Haha! I feel ya 😉
For some reason, I love otters and gravitate to them when I visit zoos and such. They’re just so cute … especially when they’re lying on their backs and holding paws!
They are sweetly playful, and very good at catching fish!
You do have lots of snow! Our weather often match, your outdoor photos could have been taken right here 🙂 Have a wonderful new week my friend. ❤
Thank you!
You have so much more snow than we do, Eliza. This last storm was so odd. We got maybe five inches but just a few miles away in Shutesbury one of Mary Beth’s friends got three feet.
It’s always fun to find their tracks and slides. Someday I hope to witness their fun. 🙂
Thanks, Steve. This definitely was an elevation storm, Ashfield got 3′ as well. What a mess to clean up!
Love this! And, I’ve also been photographing snow and tracks in the snow today, from a rabbit next to my house though 😉
Thank you, Helena! Tracking in winter is interesting and rewarding. One never knows what one will find. 🙂
Oh, to think the otters are in that cold water, brrrrr! Love both shots, Eliza, they are beautiful!
Thank you, Donna! They have thick coats, which they preen with oil, so they are quite comfortable in that cold water. Well adapted!
It must be interesting to come across their tracks. Do you ever seen one?
I adore otters. I hope you catch them in action one day, Eliza, although I suspect they don’t much appreciate human interruptions.
Thanks, Kris. Yes, the are pretty shy creatures and don’t linger for long.
I hope you will see the track maker one of these days!
Thank you, Tanja– me, too! 🙂
Love finding tracks in the snow
After the first snow every year, I am delighted to see evidence once again of the many animal neighbors I have here. It is comforting. 🙂
Do they drag their tail? Looks like it, making it easy to identify, along with entering from the water I suppose! Nice river shot too!
Thank you, Denise. Their legs are short, so they have to porpoise through the snow, leaving their belly drag marks. The most charming is seeing their playful slides down slopes and banks, sometimes scampering back up to repeat the slide. You can imagine them thinking, “Wheeee!” 😉
Do you often (or ever) get to see the otters themselves?
Rarely, as they are mostly nocturnal.
All you have to do is go out at 2 AM every night till you see them.
Maybe a trail cam would be a better idea! 😉
It looks familiar 😀
I just love your photos-every one of them.
Thank you so much! 🙂
magnificent
Thank you, Sylvia!