I pushed off from the muddy bank of the boat launch and felt the kayak dip under my weight for a second, only to pop back up in buoyant weightlessness. A sense of joy and wondrous calm washed over me as I felt the water catch and cradle me and my little craft. In the space of an inhale I was set free. The creek and the quiet morning were mine to enjoy.
Not even the sun was really awake yet. It was stuck sleepily in a cloud bank to the east and the whole world seemed to be on pause. Nothing moved or sounded in the dim, grey-blue light; not even a bird. I marveled at this fact and rejoiced to be here. I thanked myself for having got up and out the door in the dark. The air was pleasantly warm for mid-September, even here on the water at this early hour.
I paddled north with the subtle current and admired the big trees leaning over the water on both sides. This part of Otter Creek is pretty wild. The floodplain on both sides extends far and wide and is left alone by human industry; not a road traverses it besides the one I drove in on.
A surprise awaited…Otters!
What was waiting for me around a bend in the creek an hour later, I was not expecting – a family of otters! They spotted me first. They were on the far bank looking intently at me, three full-grown ones who were soon joined by a fourth. All four dove into the water and came up holding their whiskered heads high on craned necks, all looking intently at me. Then they began to raise a ruckus, splashing loudly and making huffing sounds and high-pitched alarm calls. They were upset by my presence and wanted to be sure I knew that I was trespassing. Not wanting to alarm them further, I kept very still and simply observed them.
Then they swam across and got out on the opposite bank. They dashed up the bank and into the woods. I heard them crashing through the undergrowth and coming in my direction. It was my turn to be alarmed when one came over the bank near me and dove into the water. I was afraid for a moment that it might be coming to attack or capsize me! But it didn’t – only disappeared. The rest went back to their original spot and advanced toward me a little ways. They were intimidating because of their impressive speed, strength and size – and of course their aquatic agility. Out of the water, they were as big as Labradors!
I remained quiet and still. Two of them surfaced on a submerged log in front of me. They stared at me and I stared back, slowly raising my camera to get a few shots at close range (luckily my 300mm lens was mounted). They were surprisingly unafraid of me. Then they took off. They swam up the creek and were out of sight and sound in less than 30 seconds. So that’s why it’s called Otter Creek, I thought to myself with an inward smirk. What a neat encounter. I hadn’t seen otters since I was a teenager.
I enjoyed the rest of my leisurely paddle as the clouds began to disperse slightly, shedding some light on the first blush of fall color in the trees lining the banks. A spotted sandpiper was foraging in the mud at the water’s edge and I saw a handful of wood ducks. Other birds I heard more often than saw included a belted kingfisher, chickadees, sparrows, robins, blue jays and phoebes.
Meeting goals, exploring and deepening my knowledge
Getting out on the water has been one of my goals this year. Waterways abound in Vermont, be it ponds, marshes, rivers or reservoirs – not to mention the great Lake Champlain. A couple weeks ago I acquired my sister’s kayak and have started exploring these waterways every week.
Having recently plunged into educating myself in conservation and naturalism, my outings are enriched by the new lens that my research has given me. My general knowledge about the natural world has deepened considerably this year. I’ve made a lot of progress in bird, tree, insect and plant identification thanks to the contacts and resources I’ve accrued. This study has created a positive feedback cycle where I recognize species that I’ve read about, or read about species that I’ve seen recently. The excitement this creates helps me retain the knowledge I’m gaining.
The iNaturalist and Merlin apps together have been a gamechanger for me. They have become a lot more reliable for identification. The fact that I can get identifications while I’m exploring refueled my interest in identification. I’m so inspired by the flora and fauna I find because I can put a name to them and learn about them instantly while contributing to a database that scientists use for research. This year I added 327 observations to iNaturalist. The community helps vet your observations and turn them into research grade material. It feels great to deepen my connection to my local environment while participating in a bigger community.