River Otters

I knew eventually I would have an opportunity to photograph the River Otters at Mustatatuck. I just wasn't expecting it to be in the dead of Winter. If you know there are Otters about and it is a frigid cold day with ice covered ponds look for clumps of ice on top of the frozen pond and you just might see an Otter. They carve out holes so they can dive and hunt for food.



River Otters spend most of their time on land mainly to keep their fur from getting waterlogged and only take to the water to hunt or travel.



They eat fish, but will also eat small mammals. I have no idea what is alive in the bottom of Persimmon Pond, but they would dive down into the frigid water and disappear for a minute or two and then their heads would pop back up.


Then they jump up on the ice and lay there eating whatever food they've captured. Sometimes they sit and peer out and occasionally I would see one checking me out with his head arched up looking at me like the one in this last photo. He gradually moved down away from where I was standing, too far to get any decent photos, but the other Otter stayed pretty much where I originally found him and his hole in the frozen pond.

On another topic, we received several inches of snow yesterday, and low and behold, we have more on the way tonight. It has been quite cold and very snowy this Winter. I think the meterologists are saying they haven't seen a Winter like this in years. And I have to agree. Brrrrr. ENJOY!

Otters, Persimmon Pond, Mustatatuck NWR

As I drove up to Ewing Bottoms today, I wondered if I would catch any Cranes there today. As I had suspected the Sandhill Cranes had flown further south after the Polar Vortex hit earlier in the week. I couldn't imagine how they would make it through -15 wind chill Monday night. I did see some Cranes flying around and read earlier in a post from ebird that there are still Cranes at Mustatatuck in the sanctuary area of the refuge. They return each night to roost and during the day hang out in farm fields south and west of Seymour.

After leaving the bottoms, I drove to Mustatatuck to check out the waterfowl. Not much happening as most of the lakes and ponds and swamps were almost totally frozen. Even though it was 50 degrees today, the weather hasn't been warm enough to thaw the ice on the water. As I left Myer's Cabin in the back of the refuge, I was driving past Persimmon Pond and turned to look at the pond. When I did I thought I saw something dark slip into the water. So I stopped my car, got out and me and camera trekked over to the edge of the pond. These two Otters were busily eating, diving back in for more food and jumping back out of the water to munch down their catch. They also occasionally took a peek in my direction.



They were absolutely adorable. And boy do they have appetites. I'm glad I don't have to pay their food bill. This is the first time since about 2008 that I had seen these guys. The last time I saw them they were much young and slipping and sliding all over the ice in one of the main swamps. I hope it is that long before I see them again. ENJOY!

A Quiet Place to Reflect

This quaint barn sits in the farthest corner of the Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in central Indiana. Take I-65's Seymour exit. The refuge is one mile east off of the highway.

I've visited this refuge in all four seasons. In winter, I photographed the otters sliding across the frozen swampland. In summer, a brood of jet black commarants flew over and made a stop at one of the larger lakes in the refuge. In fall, the bright orange and red autumn leaves shone off the lakes' waterfront like a blaze of fire. And in spring, the wildflowers pop up everywhere from the forests to the roadside. Visiting this refuge is a nature lover's calming experience and is a perfect place to watch nature at its best. Almost every visit to the refuge finds deer grazing in the grasses close to the road. It's a real treat to visit.