Tuesday, May 14, 2013

RATTY HITS THE JACKPOT

It was one of those mornings when I woke up way too early.  After staring at the ceiling fan and listening to DH snore for a while I gave up and got up and went for a walk down by Nature Park Pond.  I took a bag of old dry bread to feed the ducks.  However, the ducks had been enjoying a bounty of bread benevolence and weren’t interested in my breakfast donation.  I sat there for a while enjoying the sunrise.

Then this hairy thing swam carefully up to the shore.

While I sat there quietly a muskrat came to investigate the yummy smell.

Dry bread must have looked better to him than the minnows and waterbugs he’d been hunting.

He didn’t even care if there wasn’t any marmalade or raspberry jam.

Although he did take a few of the dry crusts down for a soak before he ate them.

He was so busy with his banquet that I was able to fumble out my cell phone and take a few photos even  though he was just a few feet from where I sat.

When he’d eaten his fill he waddled back to the water on his little webbed feet.

Then casually swam away using that long scaly tail to propel him off to do whatever water rats do.

Click on the link below to see a video from another time I was sitting quietly by a pond trying to get a few pictures of birds.  It was early spring and there was still snow in the shady places along the shore.
I heard an odd chirping sound and saw a family of otters, two young ones and a mamma playing in the water.

13 comments:

joeh said...

OK, the muskrat was cool, but the otter film kicked it's butt. Love the otters, though I understand fisherman don't like the competition.

Linda Sue said...

The silver lining of loud snores! The early morning ratty- so worth it! The otters, I agree with Joeh, really adorable, What a lucky walk you had, have, do...
All of my critters have gone- I do not blame them, they are smarter than I...

Maude Lynn said...

Oh, wow! That is so cool!

Alica said...

The otters win...they look like they're having so much fun!

Pearl said...

I'm jealous of your being so close. Wild creatures fascinate me.

Pearl

Buttons Thoughts said...

Wow great score early mornings are the best time to find those incredible moments. I loved the video too. I think you should be getting up and going out every morning to avoid snores:). B

TALON said...

Absolute cuteness, Leenie! Seems we're not the only ones ruled by our tummies! :)

RURAL said...

What a great time, I've never had a muskrat come out of the water before.

Loved this post, especially the part about having the bread without the jam.

Jen

Joanne Noragon said...

Yea, Ratty! Remember how brave he was, doleing out a gun for Ratty, a gun for Mole, a gun for Badger. A belt for Ratty, a belt for Mole, a belt for Badger. A.....

Val said...

The last muskrat I saw was in a drainage ditch between Captain D's and McDonald's.

Anzu said...

Wow! 
He might be sight for the gods for you, too.  Thank you for sharing the big mouse. (Θ(エ)Θ*)

Anairam said...

Oh, I love otters! (or ottoes, as a friend of mine calls them). But the water rat - eek - I would have run a a mile. I just have a thing about rats, webbed feet or not. Maybe it is the tail ...

Bewildermunster said...

How cool is that! What a cute little fella.