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The Daily Bucket. River Otter, big LIFER for me. Spanish Creek, Quincy, CA. [1]
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Date: 2023-07-22
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
It’s been three or four years since I believe I spotted a River Otter right near where I photographed this one today, and ever since then every time I bicycled over this bridge on Spanish Creek I’ve kept my RiverOtterRadar© fine-tuned and at full power sweep; yes, that burned a lot of electricity (and hoo-boy are those industrial mega-watt batteries heavy to carry on a bike), but today all my blood sweat tears and cuss words paid off.
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I parked my bicycle at the near end of the bridge and walked out; it’s not a very long bridge. I get a real decent view of the river for a couple of hundred yards downstream. I’ve photographed Great Egret and Great Blue Heron in the river from this bridge several times, and this is also the spot for spotting the Western Pond Turtle and numerous other of Nature’s visual treats.
Today, looking downstream (and waiting as cars pass; they shake this little bridge a bit) I spied some movement. Zooming in to full 2000mm with my Nikon P950 I could make out its head and was near certain I had the Otter this time. Oh you betcha I immediately “chimped” my shots; I wanted to be certain I had finally captured this most wonderful of aquatic mammals. So herewith I share with you:
Since I don’t know this animal’s sex, of course, I’ve decided the gender-neutral name for it shall be Onyx. Onyx Otter, yes, I like that.
Some info:
The playful North American river otter is well adapted for semi-aquatic living. The mammals have thick, protective fur to help them keep warm while swimming in cold waters. They have short legs, webbed feet for faster swimming, and a long, narrow body and flattened head for streamlined movement in the water. A long, strong tail helps propels the otter through the water. They can stay underwater for as many as eight minutes. North American river otters have long whiskers, which they use to detect prey in dark or cloudy water, and clawed feet for grasping onto slippery prey. … The North American river otter occurs in much of Canada and the United States, except for portions of the Southwest, and in Mexico in the Rio Grande and Colorado River delta areas. They can thrive in any water habitat, such as ponds, marshes, lakes, rivers, and estuaries—in cold, warm, or even high-elevation areas—as long as the habitat provides adequate food. … River otters eat a variety of aquatic wildlife, such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds’ eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. They have also been known to eat aquatic plants and to prey on other small mammals, such as muskrats or rabbits. … North American river otters were hunted and trapped extensively for their fur in the 19th and 20th centuries, and are still hunted in some places. They were extirpated from portions of their range, but conservation and reintroduction efforts are helping populations to recover. However habitat destruction and water pollution still puts these animals at great risk, especially because they are so specialized. Source: National Wildlife Federation
Immediately after I captured the foregoing photos Onyx dived under the water and I was reasonably certain I was unlikely to see it again for many minutes, and I had much more territory planned to explore for the day, so I pedaled on. However, I’m very keen to get back to the bridge soon and look again for Onyx; especially now that I’ve got my…
brand
new
camera
!!!!!
Disclaimer: the camera body, Nikon D5600 Digital Single Lens Reflex, is “renewed”; meaning it’s previously owned but has been fully refurbished and is in like-new condition.
With the big lens (Sigma 150-600mm; and it is brand-new) it’s a monster compared to my P950, but I’ve got both a monopod and tripod so that’s all good.
I’ve shown this before in a different diary, but here’s the main reason I have finally stepped up from my point-and-shoot Coolpix to the DSLR. Sensor size, both physical and digital.
The P960 sensor is 16 megapixel; the D6500 is 24 megapixel. This ought to make quite a difference in the sharpness of my photos.
Know what? You could be looking at my last-ever shots with the P950, or at least as my main camera. Another moment in hystery.
Same day as the Otter, on the road out to the bridge:
Sandhill Crane
Western Meadowlark
Now it’s your turn.
What’s up in your world, nature and changes, that you have observed lately?
Let us know in the comments and as always please include your location, and photos if you got ‘em!
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