Silent Sunday – River Otter Tracks

About Eliza Waters

Gardener, writer, photographer, naturalist
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56 Responses to Silent Sunday – River Otter Tracks

  1. Vicki says:

    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.

    • Eliza Waters says:

      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.

  2. Karen Lang says:

    ❄️⛄️❄️⛄️❄️⛄️

  3. cindy knoke says:

    Oh I want to see them!!!!

  4. Anne says:

    This is a beautiful sight.

  5. Pingback: Silent Sunday – River Otter Tracks | Purplerays

  6. What an amazing sight!

  7. Alice says:

    How very fun to know those cute creatures are your neighbors. It/they chose a beautiful area!

  8. Treah Pichette says:

    Do you ever see the otters?

  9. shoreacres says:

    You ‘otter’ follow those tracks and see where they lead!

    • Eliza Waters says:

      🙂 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.

      • shoreacres says:

        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.

  10. 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.

  11. Chris says:

    Christmas card worthy! Love them!

  12. Val Boyko says:

    What a treat to see!

  13. How exciting. I imagine you see the otter often.

    • Eliza Waters says:

      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!

  14. Pepper says:

    Two lovely scenes. I hope you get a glimpse of the otters. 😊

  15. Jet Eliot says:

    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.

  16. 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?

  17. Dale says:

    Oh! How lovely! I hope you also get to see the otters themselves (and share with us, of course!)

  18. Debbie says:

    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!

  19. Maria says:

    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. ❤

  20. 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. 🙂

  21. Love this! And, I’ve also been photographing snow and tracks in the snow today, from a rabbit next to my house though 😉

  22. Oh, to think the otters are in that cold water, brrrrr! Love both shots, Eliza, they are beautiful!

  23. It must be interesting to come across their tracks. Do you ever seen one?

  24. Kris P says:

    I adore otters. I hope you catch them in action one day, Eliza, although I suspect they don’t much appreciate human interruptions.

  25. I hope you will see the track maker one of these days!

  26. Murtagh's Meadow says:

    Love finding tracks in the snow

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