Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

Muskrat feeding in Jenney Pond

When you visit wetlands along rivers, lakes and ponds one of the interesting creatures that you may see is the muskrat. Muskrats are a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent that is native to North America. It also has been introduced into parts of Europe, Asia and South America. Muskrats play a very important role in the ecology of wetlands. The eat almost any aquatic vegetation as well as some field crops that are adjacent to suitable habitat. Preferred natural foods include cattails, pickle weed, bulrush, smart weed, duck potato, horsetail, waterlily and other aquatic plants. Normally, when they see a person they will swim away or dive under the water. I have found when the muskrat is actively eating that it will give you a better chance to watch and photograph. They will use their claws like hands to put the vegetation into the mouth which they eat with their strong rodent teeth.

Muskrat feeding Daniel Webster Audubon Sanctuary

Muskrat feeding Daniel Webster Audubon Sanctuary

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A Morning at Daniel Webster Sanctuary

I decided to visit the Daniel Webster Sanctuary in Marshfield, Massachusetts, the other morning for some bird watching and photography.  I spent most of the morning in the morning observation blind. 

View from the blind

Well I was walking to the blind and leaving the blind, I did stop and photograph the Purple Martins. 











I captured a nice image of a Willow/Alder flycatcher.  These species are hard to tell apart, except by their vocalization.  This bird did not vocalize so I have to accept that as a either/or.  An interesting fact is that these flycatchers used to be classified as one species and was known as the (Trail's) flycatcher.



I did obtain a picture of a life dragonfly-- Needham's Skimmer
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In all, it was a beautiful morning to be out observing nature and photographing the natural beauty around us.

Song Sparrow

Brown Thrasher

"Noise Makers"

Painted Turtle with Duckweed

Water Lillies

Little Blue Heron-Egretta caerulea

The Little Blue Heron is another infrequent visitor to our area.  It is normally found in the southeastern United States, but does show up in this area every year.  In fact, we had a little blue heron fly over us while we at Plymouth Beach during bird-a-thon.  Presently, there is a single specimen of the Little Blue Heron being observed at the Daniel Webster Audubon Sanctuary.
An interesting observation about the Little Blue Heron is that the first year immature herons have a different and distinct color morph from the adult.  The juvenile or immature little blue herons are white as opposed to the slate-blue color of the adults.  Shark Valley In the Everglades National Park is a great location for viewing the different color morphs.
The adult Little Blue Heron at Daniel Webster has been in the pannes, in small pond area between the two observation blinds.  The day that I was there I was able to observe and capture photographs of the Little Blue Heron capturing and eating a frog.

		Little Blue Heron Feeding on a Frog VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The observation blinds was set up to take advantage of the sons location.  From the entrance as you look down toward the small pond, the blind on the right is the morning blind and the blind on the left is the afternoon blind.  The day we were there.  It was cloudy and overcast with no harsh Sun to cast shadows, so therefore we were able to utilize both blinds in the morning for photography.  In each of the blinds at 2 of the Windows there is a screw in place so you can fasten your tripod head to it for an ease in utilizing your camera lens.