photography | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

River otters were once a rare sight in Massachusetts, but thanks to better wetland conservation, pollution reduction, and habitat creation thanks to those industrious beavers, their numbers are on the rise. And thank goodness for that! With their playful, athletic nature, otters can be a lot of fun to watch as they body-surf down icy hills and generally use nature as their personal playground.

These semi-aquatic carnivores love marshes, lakes, rivers, swamps, and estuaries that provide an ample supply of fish—the foundation of their diet. Otters have been spotted at numerous Mass Audubon properties, including Broadmoor, Canoe Meadows, Barnstable Great Marsh, Stony Brook, Tidmarsh, and more, and although they are active day and night, your best chance to spot them is around dawn or dusk.

Here are five photos of river otters from our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. The 2018 contest opens in early summer, so keep your eyes peeled for updates!

River otter © Joseph Cavanaugh

River otter © Ashley Gibbs

River Otter © Sarah Hatton

River otter © Allison Coffin

River otter © Jim Renault

Migrating great blue herons arrive in New England as early as the latter part of March, where they join the small population of great blues that overwinter here.

The most common place to find great blue herons is at the edge of a wetland, where they will stand stock-still, tracking the movements of fish and frogs and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Once a rare sight in the northeast US due to hunting pressure and pollution, great blue herons have staged a staggering comeback in the past few decades. Now, these statuesque wading birds can be seen at ponds, lakes, and rivers of all sizes, often in surprisingly urban areas.

Great blue herons are something of a “fan favorite” for many folks, with their graceful movement and ubiquity at bodies of water across the state. Have you spotted any herons already returned to their nesting sites? Learn more about great blue herons on our website.

Here are five fantastic photos of great blues from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. Submissions for the 2018 photo contest begin in early summer, so stay tuned!

A Mass Audubon Blog

Tag Archives: photography

Take 5: Otter Overload

Take 5: Great Blue Herons