Part 1

River Otter

River otters can live 10 to 20 years.  These three and half to four foot long mammals depend on clean water and a healthy supply of fish, frogs, snakes, mice, birds, crayfish and mussels. 

River otters digest and metabolize food so quickly that food passes through their intestines within an hour.

The web feet and slim profile allow otters to fly through the water

Click to enlarge any of these images

Snowy Egret

The snowy egret stalks the marshes, coves and rivers for small bait fish such as mummichog, spearing, sand eel or sand lance

Snowy egret charges a school of mummichogs

The egret strikes with lightning speed

The snowy seizes the mummi behind the gills

A good squeeze and a shake and the mummi is about to be eaten

Snowy egret gulps down a fat little mummichog

Muskrat

These semi-aquatic rodents feed primarily on aquatic plants and they can be found in slow-moving-streams, coastal and freshwater marshes, lakes, ponds and swamps.

A muskrat swims toward the shoreline

Osprey building nest with marsh grass and twigs

A full load of nesting material

Osprey grasps herring in its talons

River Herring

Alewives and blueback herring  have an enormous impact on the environment and they are a vital component to the food chain.

A group of volunteers help the Rhode Island Dept. of Fish of Wildlife scoop out and transport herring to an aerated truck.  These herring will be transferred to the Pawcatuck watershed where they will fortify 1300 acres and 8 stream miles.

Herring Heroes scoop and transport fish

River herring stack up in a shallow pool

Worker dumps herring into transport truck

Check back for Rhode Island’s Web of Life – Part 2

Yesterday afternoon I went looking for river herring…I wasn’t the only one.

A great blue heron swooped in and kept an eye open for returing alewives.  We were both out of luck.

A great blue heron flys through the trees

Last night was a return to winter-like conditions with freezing temperatures that shut down the run of herring.  It seems both me and the heron were out of luck.

The Last Few Days Have Been Ducky

This is a great time of year for watching birds, especially ducks.  The display of colors is breathtaking and seeing the same ducks return to the same ponds, puddles, creeks, and rivers is a welcomed sight.  The quacking in the marsh behind my house is another matter.