I finally saw an otter. After a morning of watching swimming animals that all ended up being ducks, beaver, or deer, I made my way to trout lake. Here, I saw the resident otter way across the lake, but she soon came back with a live fish, crawled up onto a log, and proceeded to take bites out of the still flipping fish. And I watched as she ate the entire fish – head, fins, everything! I could hear the bones crunching as she ate…which explains why their scats are so full of fishbones. She was awesome – how many animals look so cuddly AND are vicious predators?
Further around the lake I found why it was such a good place for otter, the inlet was absolutely packed with spawning cutthroat trout. From bank to bank, the little rocky stream was full of trout fighting the current to move upstream. I saw one lose it and tumble back towards the lake, hitting several rocks as he went. I suppose this is what our study sites would look like if the invasive lake trout hadn’t killed the cutthroats.
Trout Lake itself is one of those lovely alpine lakes surrounded by meadows that makes you feel like someone has plucked you out of your own life and dropped you in the opening scene of the Sound of Music. Yes, I may have sung musicals while I was up there. Hey, you have to make noise to be safe and keep the bears away.
And the otters are pretty good at taking care of fish…here’s all that’s left (the roe) of one the otter got to.
1 comment:
So what musical did you sing? Rent?
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