K-3 and Tamron AF 300 ISO 100 ƒ11
K-1 and DA*60-250

The day started off easy enough, talking to a guy about a mink. Get your minds out of the gutter, you people are disgusting....

This mink, not that other kind of mink.


But most people it turns out were coming to see the otter. This guy


At one point, I guessed wrong, they guessed right, he ended up right in front of them not me. Great opportunity to take their pictures I think.






Surprising what a good portrait lens the Tammy 300 with the 1.7x on it is. Everyone looks so natural.

And another opportunity later, I had the 40XS on the K-1 for just such a shot.


There's the otter on the right hand side. Looking like this.


As I drove home I noted that they had crossed the creek to get a better angle to the evening sun, K-1 and DA* 60-250


You know what they say about Algonquin Park. Be there or be square. Just in case you wondered what all the cool people were doing.

p.s. Southern Ontario people thinking of coming up for a photo-op, check the weather before you leave, there's a freezing rain warning in effect right now.
And it's supposed to be overcast, rainey and be generally miserable tomorrow.

[IgorZ]

Great series!

[slowpez]

Nice series Norm. Love your little mink and the otter. Don't often get a chance to see them down this way.

[normhead]

Great series!

Thanks for commenting.

Nice series Norm. Love your little mink and the otter. Don't often get a chance to see them down this way.

Thanks SLopez, we don't see them often either. This guy just happens to be fishing this creek that runs parallel to a road, giving photographers access, but this is the first time it's happened in the 8 years I've been here. There are a lot of photographers jumping at the opportunity of pretty ,much a guaranteed an opportunity, for all the bucket listers out there.

[photoptimist]

Nice series on the riparian fauna, especially that rare red-backed canonista.

I guess I otter been there!

[normhead]

Nice series on the riparian fauna, especially that rare red-backed canonista.

I guess I otter been there!

But you couldn't weasel any time off?

[photoptimist]

But you couldn't weasel any time off?

I have to ferret out the money, first.

[normhead]

Hopefully we're done with weasel puns now. The world will thank us if we end this here. Besides, I can't think of another one. Mink, Otter, Ferret, Weasel,... FIsher, skunk or badger have possibilities...

You could badger your bank for a loan. ha

[photoptimist]

Hopefully we're done with weasel puns now. The world will thank us if we end this here. Besides, I can't think of another one.

I've still got a few sitting in stoatage.

[Canada_Rockies]

Nice series on the riparian fauna, especially that rare red-backed canonista.

I guess I otter been there!

Every time I read "riparian" I think of Hyacinth's picnic ...

[normhead]

Every time I read "riparian" I think of Hyacinth's picnic ...

Funny, I never think of that.

For some reason the only word that comes to mind when I hear riparian is "octogenarian". I have no idea why.

[Kerrowdown]

Has the camo man in the fourth image not realised that snow is kinda white ish?

[normhead]

Has the camo man in the fourth image not realised that snow is kinda white ish?

The other things is, I can sit there quietly on the other side of the bank and the otter will ignore me. He really doesn't care if you are wearing camo or not. Or even, if you are there or not.

And he's in with a bunch of other people, none of whom are wearing camo. However he's a guy that posts on our Algonquin Treks Facebook page, and is pretty well known to us. Definitely not one of the camo wearing snobs that frequently look down their noses at us Pentaxians.

He took one of my favourtie Pine Marten images ever, a Pine Marten and a Red Fox standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, obviously trying to make sense of the mob of photographers pointing cameras at them, probably wondering if someone in the crowd was going to toss them a tidbit.

[Kerrowdown]

Or even, if you are there or not

Aye it's the same with vehicles, animals seem to accept them.

It's not until you try get out, that they then become spooked and head for the hills.

[normhead]

Aye it's the same with vehicles, animals seem to accept them.

It's not until you try get out, that they then become spooked and head for the hills.

I lost one of my best fox opportunities ever recently when I stopped the car and got out. I should have opened the car window, pointed the camera out the window and snapped off a few shots, before getting out of the car. I did get a good shot, but I could have had a great shot.

Fox on top of the snow bank left by the plow, fresh snow, looking like pristine wilderness, a pine forest with snow on the boughs behind him in bokeh. I can still see the image, I just can't share it.