Sunday, May 12, 2024

Muskrat Sign

I've been noticing dark and wet mud on the edge of our land at the lake interface that stands out from the dry brown leaves that are the norm. I knew I hadn't been lifting mud and leaves out of the lake, and leaving them along the edge ... so I knew we had an interloper in our midst ...


I've also been noticing a LOT of bare twigs and branches, stripped of bark, accumulating at the water's edge, so have deduced that both these signs must indicate muskrat activity in our cove. We spotted muskrats visiting way back at the beginning of March, but haven't seen much in the way of definitive activity since then. We've seen suspicious looking ripples, but haven't positively tied them to muskrat presence. 


I believe the muskrats must be excavating under the banks of our cove and are leaving the removed material along the banks. At the same time, they're leaving the remains of their meals to wash up on shore.

I'm so happy to welcome them back, and will continue keeping my eyes peeled for a positive ID.


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