Sunday, March 10, 2013

A Sushi Lunch With An Otter Of The Vermilon River.

 I wasn't going to post this week because I got caught up in researching the gun problem in the US. As well the weather has been bad, and then it took a swing for the better, enabling me to get out to the River.It's important to hike now as spring is close, and the four legged critters are on the move despite the ice and snow. The hike was not that great as the ice on the trail was too dangerous for me. But there was a forest lesson even in that brief hike.In a wilderness forest, all senses have to be alert. In addition if something looks strange it likely is, no matter what your brain is saying. The otter shots are the proof. He was at the opposite end of the rock island shown in the photo below,and appeared to my eyes as a black rock outcropping, but of a peculiar shape.
For those who asked, the shots of the otter were all taken with the 70-300 mm lens at F8, 400 ISO at 300 mm. The blowups are all 100 percent, so the shots are solid and not falling apart. At 200 percent they're too noisy or grainy, but just. I was lucky as the snow was bright enough to permit an ISO of 400. At 800 ISO the photos would be grainier, and the blow up size would be more restricted. All but one of the photos was in focus, and are in this post.

The grey background bird shots are shot at F6.3, and 800 ISO.

A post to I'd Rather Be Birding,My World Tuesday, and WBW. I've set the post up for the slide show.
Red Squirrel

Redpolls who I'll soon lose as they move north.

Male Pine Grosbeak-again an immigrant from the north.

Red Squirrel


Red Squirrel

Redpoll

Female Pine Grosbeak

Open River, Foggy Ridges

Mourning Doves


Rock Island

Seed Pod

Frosty Branch

Windy Blue Jay

Otter



The otter was at the far end of the rock island shown above.
This series shows really well in the slide show.









Lunch is served.



I think the black is his tail.

73 comments:

  1. Wow, you caught some great shots there!

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  2. very cute otter. but i love your red squirrel! makes me laugh!

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  3. The otter shots are great Gary, as is that shot of the squirrel on the snow against the blue light.

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  4. Very nice shots ,the squirrel is not like ours ,i had it on my blog yeasterday ,have a nice week ,Nette

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  5. Terrific pics as usual. Love the otter!

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  6. So many great shots! Love the otter in the snow.

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  7. The Red Squirrel is my favourite, but the Otter wins, cheers Gary.

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  8. Great otter series. And the squirrel...a favorite of mine. OH and the pine grosbeak...such a striking bird.

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  9. Lovely serie, interesting to study your photos!

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  10. Another wonderful post. Thank you for sharing.

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  11. Love the otter especially, Gary...I've seen them before, but never for long enough to take that terrific series of shots. The blue jay is about to blow away!

    When you get our gun problem figured out I hope you share it. (The whole thing makes me terribly sad.)

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  12. I enjoyed every one of your shots again Gary, and even the frosty branch is beautiful to see. I like to always 'look up' too, you never know what you might be missing. Some times focussed on a bird in a tree and right up in the air is something special flying in....aim the camera that way and too late

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  13. They look lovely in the snowy background!

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  14. Otters are always a delight to watch. Lovely shots of the otter here. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Great image series showing. Thanks for the comment on my blog. Wish you a good new week :) Hanne Bente

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  16. Hi Gary

    The otter sequence was magnificent. Hi to Boomer.

    Guy

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  17. Before I got interested in birds, mammals were my first love. I seldom get chances to take photos of them...other then squirrels :-) I love these little red squirrels. Wish we had them here! That otter is really a nice bonus for photos, too! Lucky you! Thanks for sharing these!

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  18. Oh - such amazing shots. The otter photos are delightful.

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  19. Again such a great post!
    Regards Leena

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  20. Such a great post again!
    Regards Leena

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  21. Again - a great series of photos and the ones of the otter photos are wonderful captures.

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  22. You've captured that little Otter beautifully Garry .... So pleased you made the hike out.

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  23. Those are great shots of the otter.

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  24. Lucky you to see otters! We only see the occasional boar or deer. My country is very small and crowded. Thanks for your visit, Gary. Have a great week!

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  25. What a wonderful experience to see the otter feeding Gary. I imagine there will be a time in the Spring thaw where the trails will be too muddy to traverse, until you wear hip waders!

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  26. So stunning Gary, the little otter!
    I have enjoyed it very much...
    Warm greetings from Holland,
    Anna :))

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  27. I love the "Otter-shots"!!! So cute and beautiful.
    Terrific captures as always!

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  28. How wonderful to see the otters! Marvelous captures of the birds and squirrels as always, Gary!! Hope you have a good week!

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  29. Yes, very good catches. Nice pictures.

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  30. Wow! Great shots of that otter!

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  31. How great to see that nature and its content are able to live their lifes in such harmony, peace and freedom.

    robert geiß

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  32. How cute, the otter is adorable. Some of my other favorites are the Pine Grosbeak and Redpolls. Beautiful photos, have a great week!

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  33. What a great sequence of Otter shots Gary! Love the whole post.

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  34. The shots are all great but the otter sequence was my favorite. What fun to watch him with his catch.

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  35. Awesome otter shots. He looks like he is playing a bit of hide and seek with you. Loved the squirrel pictures. I an never quick enough to get a shot of mine.Beautiful bird shots, too. genie

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  36. Great wildlife - that otter is so cute!

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  37. If you were doing research on the gun issue in the USA I'm surprised you managed to post at all - I think you could research for ever and never understand why you need to keep a machine gun in your own house.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  38. Every time I read your posts, I feel like I'm back in my small hometown, where wildlife was abundant. I live in a large city now and really miss nature. Beautiful shots!

    Happy Tuesday. ☺

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  39. A smile escaped from my lips to see the pose of the red squirrel.. how cute!

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  40. beautiful wildlife especially the otter.

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  41. fabulous images, and thank you for the "shooting" information. Now that I am learning "manual" it is interesting for me to read.
    I am glad you got out for a hike. Have a wonderful week, and thanks for stopping by my blog today.

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  42. I'm glad you got out, I enjoyed your series, love that little red squirrel!

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  43. Very lovely birds and great looking otter.

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  44. Love the squirrel and the otter ! We only have red squirrels in Belgium.

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  45. Lot's of great shots! Thanks for visiting MammothLakesDP!!!

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  46. I love seeing the otter shots! Wonderful.

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  47. Such beautiful photos, thank you for sharing and also for visiting us at pret-a-vivre.com

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  48. Wonderful shots, as usual! The colors are awesome and love the otter, too.

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  49. Wonderful shots, sure looks cold there. I suppose spring is a long way off. Thanks for the visit.

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  50. Hi! Did you enjoy Sushi lunch? There are many otter photos. They are very cute.
    Thank you for sharing.

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  51. Otters are some of my favorite creatures. Great shots, Gary!
    Today as I was out walking with my dog, McGee, it came to my attention that Boomer must be a very good & patient dog for you to so nicely photograph so much wildlife! McGee is quiet, but likes to bound after rabbits & squirrels.

    I'm envious of the otter's catch.. We had fish for dinner this week, caught where the Vermillion River meets Crane Lake at the edge of Voyageur's National Park.. We've gotten spoiled to our northern Ontario fish over the summers... northern Minnesota fish aren't as good.

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  52. Fabulous shots, Gary, especially the otter. I've never seen a river otter in the wild, and have only seen wild sea otters at a distance, but they're one of my favourite animals.
    I always enjoy your bird photos, too. Sorry you'll be losing the redpolls, they're so cute.
    K

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  53. How great that the weather turned better. I love that squirrel, and the otter fascinates me.

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  54. Great pictures, I especially liked the otter series.

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  55. nice pictures you got there and thanks for the camera setting tips! Thanks for dropping by my blog!

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  56. Nice, and I like the otter pictures, fascinating!
    /Pia

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  57. It's always amazing to read the comments and find people who never seen certain animals that I take for granted like the red squirrels.
    Great otter series!

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  58. an otter does what she oughta. you've got a good zoom lens to get to the bird's feathers.

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  59. Superb Otter images Gary, and in difficult light conditions (high contrast)too. How wonderful to get close enough to get this much detail.

    Your Redpolls seem to be more advanced than our in getting their red breasts. Those male Pine Grosbeaks are fabulous!

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  60. Lovely shots, squirrels are cute, we have possums over here and they can be buggers.

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  61. It's not too late to share at WW Bloggers at www.wordlesswednesdaybloggers.blogspot.com. Hope you'll join us!

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  62. Sushi lunch is my favorite!! I will never be tired of Sushi even if I eat Sushi everyday, every night.
    How cute the otter is! Thanks a lot for sharing such marvelous shots.
    Have a great week.
    keiko

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  63. Your redpolls look like some of our rosy finches. Enjoyed your series of shots. Your squirrels look darker red than ours. I caught a few shots of one on my feeders today.

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  64. Haha, I wondered about the sushi-lunch when I read the title(*^▽^*)
    How GORGEOUS your photos are!!! I enjoyed all of them with enlarged ones♡♡♡ I've never seen otters before, they sure look lovely.
    I wish I could take wonderful pictures like you do p;)

    Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  65. As I've said many times before, and I'll say it once more...your posts are always the best of nature!! You are so privileged living where you do...the beauty of it all.

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  66. Male Pine Grosbeaks, Redpolls and Red Squirrels could have made me very happy and then you shared the Otter images, oh my, what a cute one that is!!! Do not stress too much over the gun laws in the USA, I do not give any of it a second thought, even if I did, i could do nothing about any of it~

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  67. Good shots of the Otter under the circumstances Gary.
    Those Grosbeak are such and amazing colour.

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  68. The otter shots are just fantastic and it looks adorable, especially with that fish!

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  69. The otter shots are just fantastic and it looks adorable, especially with that fish!

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