Rodeo Lagoon Otters

This morning in the Marin Headlands the weather was calm and punctuated by sunlight. I'd decided to see if I could catch a glimpse of the river otters that have taken up residence in Rodeo Lagoon. Yesterday the beach was closed as waves thundered over the dunes into the lagoon. Today the water level was as high as I'd ever seen it. The footbridge to the beach seemed to to be floating.

After five minutes I saw the first otter just a few feet offshore. It scared a few gulls off and then disappeared. Five more minutes elapsed, and in the distance across the lagoon, I saw 15 gulls leap and swirl into the air. One was left behind struggling, and I could see the otter drag it below the surface. It carried its prey toward a thicket on the north side of the lagoon near the road.

I decided to make a circuit and while I was watching a Western Grebe at the east end of the lagoon, a group of 6 otters made an appearance, swam toward me and across to the southern bank, where a Great Blue Heron was preening and relaxed on the shore. When they got to within 50 feet of the heron the otters submerged.

Three of them launched a group attack on the Great Blue which managed to leap to safety. The otters disappeared into the vegetation and emerged an hour later to make a circuit of the complete lagoon before returning to the north bank. I also had a close fly-by from a Northern Harrier (banded), a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk, and a nervous Spotted Towhee.

None the worse for wear, the Great Blue departs.