The Mink and the Muskrats

Observing the mink has become something of a morning ritual. It seems almost as when you buy a new car and then suddenly become aware of all the other cars of the same model. Since my first photos of the mink, I am now quite easily able to locate the mink every morning that I frequent the wetlands. Stand still for long enough, watch for movement on the far edge of the water, and there he is.

Bounding over fallen rotten tree trunks.

Traversing effortlessly from the land to the water, and on this occasion, swimming under the very critical eye of the resident mallards.

And back again to land.

Pausing very occasionally in between the endless search for food.

The mink has so much energy and apparent enthusiasm for the hunt.

It really is a treat to watch.

The water, as you can see, is not frozen. The temperature for November has been incredibly mild.


With the water not frozen, I've been able to watch the muskrats who live under one of the small islands that dot the wetlands as they collected food for the colder weather. 


The mink visited that island on this morning, and after a short look around, swam off.


I had read that the mink predates on the muskrat, and that information made the immediate appearance of the muskrats even more bizarre. As soon as the mink disappeared into the reeds, the muskrats appeared and almost exactly traced the route the mink took through the water.


Then turned around and swam over towards me. 


Muskrats really are strange-looking creatures when out of the water.


Happy that the coast was now clear, this muskrat swam back to their little island and took to giving itself a good clean.


Those pesky mink are so infuriating!!


Sorry, I couldn't help but see the humour in that photo.

The mild weather has allowed the mallards and geese to continue to use the wetlands.


Both have become very comfortable with my presence, and that is quite obvious since when I first started visiting the wetlands. Almost like a communal understanding, that this person is not a threat.


We have experienced some freezing weather, as this dark-eyed junco will attest. It was searching for seeds on the surface of the frozen water.


As was this American tree sparrow.


A male downy woodpecker was observed excavating a roosting hole in preparation for the cold winter months ahead.


Once the hole is big enough to climb into, it's much easier to dig from the inside.

The cold weather will soon be here.

Copyright © scottswildencounters.blogspot.com 2020 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.

Location: Borden Wetlands, Kitchener, ON N2E, Canada

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