August 6 to 11, 2003

August 6 the perch were biting at the usual spot, but most were small and took my bait too quickly. I went farther into South Bay, docked the boat and hiked to the East Trail Pond. There was a brisk south wind on this cloudy day so I knew my scent would give me away to any otter in the pond. I didn't tarry, but checked last year's latrine at the foot of the rock. The grass was matted down but there was no scat. I did notice an old friend on the bank -- the pile wort is "blooming"

When I first noticed this plant year's ago I waited for yellow or white blossoms to come out -- they never did. There was also no fresh scat at the latrine the otters have been using. There must be another area around this pond that they are using, unless mothers with three pups are slower using rolling areas. I checked the path over the ridge for scats, and saw none. Down in the stream going into Otter Hole Pond -- and the continuing rain keeps it a stream -- the cardinal flower I saw before flourishes and a smaller plant is coming up nearby.

That this flower is usually in shady areas adds to its luster. I went back up the ridge and then down to Otter Hole Pond. As I got down the ridge three deer stampeded down the ridge behind me -- one a young buck and another a large fawn. With both luxuriant vegetation and wet margins due to the rising then falling waters thanks to frequent downpours, it is not easy checking for otter scats. I didn't see any at one likely spot. I did see a channel almost filled with arrowhead flowers.

I took the old board walk across Beaver Point Pond. That meadow seems almost all pile wort,

and I wonder if there will be any room for the usual yellow carpet of burr marigold. There were no scats on the point, no signs of beavers, much the pity because with all this rain, if the dam had been patched, all the ponds would be restored to former glory.

Going across the cutgrass on the dry bottom of one of the small ponds below, I saw more deer scatter.

I went to Audubon Pond via the Short-cut Trail so I had the wind in my face as I went to the bench to inspect the bank lodge the two new beavers are using. Cattails are stacked in the water outside the lodge,

and along the shore I could see where more cattails had been cut. While studying this a beaver appeared, coming from the lodge in the pond, I think, and soon splashed me repeatedly and I caught one splash with the camera.

As I walked back to the boat along the causeway, the beaver came closer to inspect me, without splashing and then dove away. Evidently it's my being so close to the lodge that is so upsetting. On the causeway I found a handsome dead starnosed mole

I had never noticed its front paws before

Back on the South Bay trail I stopped to consider what I first took to be a mushroom growing on a branch, then I saw the coating of caterpillars.

I had to drive the boat through a smart rain shower. Nice short hike, but the mystery of the otters remains.

August 7 while the humidity didn't break, there was no longer the ever present threat of showers and the sky was blue. I headed off to the pond a little before 4 pm, hoping to get a better idea of what the otters are doing. As has been the case for over a month there were no scats along South Bay. I took the shortcut over the ridge to Otter Hole pond where the duckweed was quite lively, like the finest green paint,

but little else was happening. I walked down in front of the rocks and figured that the abundance of nightshade vines alone proved no critters had been using the old dens. There were no scats in last year's latrines. I thought of going out on the dam but I was wearing short pants and the thistles on the dam and cutgrass below looked formidable. I returned to the East Trail by crossing the creek below the New Pond dam. As I did I saw one deer, including the small buck. I wonder if this was the fellow I saw so often around here who only had spikes last year? I climbed up the knoll and noticed that the trail the otters used in the winter had widened into a rolling area at the crest of the knoll overlooking the pond.

There were no fresh scats around it, but I saw bones likely from old scats. No way the family I'm seeking now used this, but I have to keep this trail in mind in the future. At the East Trail Pond the duckweed had quite huddled into the northeast corner of the pond, but no otters were taking advantage of the opening -- not that the duckweed cover seems to bother them. I waited for about 45 minutes and enjoyed some phoebes. A kingfisher flew in just as I left. There were no new scats at the latrine. I should have walked around the whole pond, but the weather did not inspire such enterprise. I also should be taking a photo of every variety of mushroom. I did take one of mushrooms with gills atop their caps.

I thought of crossing Second Swamp Pond dam but the going was too wet. I also noticed that the beavers have not been taking any trees around the pool below the dam. There is a good crop of arrowhead flowers behind the dam. I went up to the knoll and noted ducks swimming off in the distance. I heard the cuckoo up to the east and moved in that direction, though I was sure that bird would stay in the woods. Going slowly along I gazed down along the shore and there was a beaver chin up on bare mud either dead or sleeping. It looked like a plump furry brown ball -- brown, not too reddish like so many younger beavers.

It stirred, seemed to open its eyes, rubbed same,

and took a long time to collect itself,

and when it did swim into the pond, it dove and I never saw it resurface. While I watched I thought it was either a resident of the pond quite groggy, or it was an interloper, resting after long travels. If the latter, I hope it is driven out and settles down in Beaver Point Pond, repairing that dam. I did not blame this sleepy beaver. While waiting for otters on this high summer afternoon, my eyes closed several times. However, looking at the photos, I think now it might be the blind beaver which I have seen in this colony for three years. Going through the thick meadow was uneventful and since the water of the upper dam has dropped a little getting across that was easier. Sometimes I come up to a pond and all is alive, and that was the case today with the Lost Swamp Pond. I first noticed an osprey flying off then a large flock of swallows. I had seen a few at the East Trail Pond, or rather heard their brief gurgling. This was a large active flock at times swirling over the pond after bugs and then perching and hopping about the crown of the huge dead oak.

Below them I saw a beaver cruise in and dive into the the lodge by the dam. Then two or three flickers were sporting about. Meanwhile ducks swam away from me or took a short flight. And two deer were again in the meadow on the point which I should call deer point.

Then finally I saw a heron creeping along the shore. I expected it to take flight, but it continued walking up along a dead trunk, ducking under the huge dead oak trunk, as it approached the pond again, I heard the frogs scatter. It perched on a trunk in the water,

and never flew off as I walked closer and then behind it. I had a job today, harvest some black trumpets, which I did. As I hurried home to dinner I did pause to pick up a deer skull that had the largest antler knobs I ever saw.

Oh yes, no otter scat. I begin to think that the otter family indeed spends a good bit of time in the South Bay marsh. I'll have to get out at dawn to make sure.

August 9 I was out of the house by 5:20am and on a gray somewhat misty morning headed for South Bay. I woke the geese up on the headland shoal. I stopped the motor well off from the point between the two coves of South Bay and then rowed in very slowly, stopping often. At first I heard a song sparrow and then a few other song birds. I stopped rowing when I got near the old South Bay dock.

I was startled by a beaver splashing its tail, turned and eventually saw it cruising closer to me,

turning away and then splashing me again. I wish it would mosey up into the ponds and patch some dams. There's nothing to the claim that drought drives the beavers into the river. This one obviously couldn't resist high water in South Bay regardless of how much water might be trapped in the ponds. With the increasing light the redwing blackbirds began chattering from the cattails, probably getting into a migratory mood. Then I heard what might have been the playful growl of baby otters coming from the cattail marsh and I also heard splashing -- no evidence of carp elsewhere so I hoped it was otters. Then I heard the loudest chirping I've ever experienced, so loud it echoed down the slight valley made by the rocky shore and tall cattails. Soon I focused on the otter it was coming from, at the end of the cove, swimming back and forth with its tail, on her tail, usually cocked up, because I think it was the mother sending out a general alarm to keep her pups in the marsh.

I waited in the boat. I've gotten much closer to otters in the boat. Indeed, as the otter raged, two ducks, usually so skittish, swam placidly nearby. I soon rowed back out and docked at my willow dock, and then walked back down to the end of the cove and waited for about a half hour, but no otters stirred. I walked up to the East Trail Pond and found the rolling area freshly dug out

and a new, though not piping hot fresh, scat.

So the otters were here. I thought I could see a good trail up and over the ridge. I thought of other places to explore as I walked back to the boat especially the whole marsh from the water, and, as best I can, from the land. But I had traumatized the mother otter enough. Of course I still have to see this family in South Bay. Next time, I'll try the kayak. Of course, I bothered a few herons, but one flew in while I was there. They seem less cranky this time of year. I also saw the green heron in the East Trail pond, and heard the chick-burr call of the scarlet tanager from the western end of the woods. There's a new kind of mushroom popping up, groups of puffy little fellows,

and then I saw this strange fungal creation

August 11 yesterday I took a tour of South Bay by kayak. The cove to the west of the south entrance of the Narrows has at least 30 blooming waterlilies and almost as many yellow spatterdocks. But the cove of South Bay has just two water lilies and 4 or 5 spatterdocks. It was raining much of the time, not the best condition for looking into the water, so this morning, which was calm with hazy sunshine, I went back in the motorboat, to see why there are so few water lilies and, who knows, maybe see otters. My tour yesterday didn't reveal any otter signs; more beaver signs actually -- a gnawed lily root and some cattail roots floating around. I first took a photo of one of the two lilies

A messy specimen but with lilies there is always a stunning close-up

and then a photo of where many lilies usually are at this time of year.

Of course, beavers and muskrats could have eaten up the roots, but I've only seen the usual amount of that so far this year. Perhaps the colder and deeper water simply stunted the growth of the plants. The leaves that are on the surface in the deeper areas are rather small. Then I went over to fish out the cattail rhizomes that I had seen.

One bunch seemed to be gone, but it was easy to pull the other into the boat to take home. In some areas the cattails were punctuated with purple loosestrife and below that a tangle of nightshade vine with berries ripening.

An opening in the marsh was nearby so I took a photo of that as a possible refuge for otters.

A few seconds later I heard an otter snort from that area. I whipped out the camcorder and captured the nose of the otter for a few seconds. I heard another otter snorting in the marsh. I rowed my boat away and waited, but no more otters. This was a treat and posed a problem. I was expecting four or five otters and a protective mother. Then I rowed over and photographed the spatterdock.

I could have motored over to the Narrows and gotten much better examples. Even before seeing the otter, I planned to check out the lower of the islands which are surrounded by the marsh. I docked by a convenient rock and at my foot saw the bones of the large bullhead.

However, there was no scat around. This island has been cleared over the years by duck hunters and adventurous campers, but especially bordering the marsh there is a tangle of vegetation, including a good bit of witch hazel.

And along with red oaks and the center of the island is shaded by a huge old willow tree.

There are paths crisscrossing but not necessarily made by otters, because this is not strictly an island -- not that I was going to wade into the cattails until I find the dry paths.

I didn't see any scat or any other piles of fish bones. I rowed across the bay to my willow docking spot and hiked up to the East Trail Pond. I went via the otter trail I saw going to the New Pond, and at the crest of the trail saw some fresh otter scats, small squirts.

So I am learning something. Going up the East Trail I paused to photograph some luscious red mushrooms

and then I noted the tiny wiggly things

in a pool of water at the base of that a three trunked red oak. It always has water in it during the spring.

At the East Trail Pond I went down to the dam and though I smelled otter scats as I walked down to the latrine, there were no new scats there. I sat anyway to cool down a bit and enjoyed the dull humidity which of course suits nothing better than a swamp pond. Then I went back up to the trail aiming to go down and check Thicket Pond and then go to Audubon Pond and back to the boat. As I went down from the ridge I saw two guys coming up the trail looking down at the pond. I asked them what they saw and they said a muskrat and then minks. I saw one scampering up from the pond and it was a baby otter! There were three of them and as one scatted below us

the other two went under a downed pine tree. Then the other one joined them.

I could see a rolling area under the tree. The older of the two guys, hunter types, wanted to throw a stick down and scare them out, but I said leave them alone. We talked about beavers and deer and they moved on. I sat down to see what would happen and in about ten minutes one of the pups came out and went down to the pond. I didn't hear a mother calling it. Then a few minutes later the other two hopped out went to the end of the dead pine and looked quizzically out at the pond and up at me too. Now I thought I heard some snorting in the pond, and the two pups went to the pond and swam off. Of course I lost them in the thick vegetation. I went back to the high rock overlooking the pond and soon enough the otters came swimming toward the lodge. It looked like a larger otter was leading two smaller ones; and it looked like that when they went up on the lodge. They came down and fished toward the rocks to the east of the dam and I thought they went up into those rock dens, but then I saw three otters swimming out near the lodge again. They again swam to the dam, and I expected them to go into the rocks, but they continued down to the dam, along it,

looking much like three pups to me. Then when they swam out it looked like a larger otter leading two smaller. Finally my confusion was somewhat resolved when they climbed up on the lodge, a large one and then three little ones.

They did the usual odd jobs, tail shaking, scatting, scratching around the sticks on the lodge. I didn't see much cuddling and no on the back sacked out sleeping.

They went to the side I couldn't see and I imagined them sleeping, but soon they were back on my side more or less head up and twitching. I heard some people going on the bridge above the pond. The otters on the lodge didn't seem to notice them, but then I saw another otter swimming from that direction, beeping out an alarm. It swam by the lodge and went directly to the rock dens and another otter was behind it. Another mother and a pup? They went into the den and kept up the alarm for about five minutes, and the otters on the lodge still didn't react. Though I was in seventh heaven, I had learned enough about otters today: pups do get away from their mothers, even with people around; and groups in the same pond can be completely independent. I did go back and take a photo of the rolling area under the pine.

There was no scat there but a little ways down the hill there were three squirts. I continued my hike to Thicket Pond where, to celebrate the continuing rain, the beavers had cut down an elm at the far end of the pond.

Along the south shore I could see more fresh work and toward the lodge I could hear gnawing. They also stripped one of the maples that had been down, and I thought I could see baby teeth marks next to the adult bites.

There were also some trumpet mushrooms there which I picked, and more along the ski trail to South Bay. So, at last a day in which I saw too many otters!

Some video clips from the week: