Saturday, February 9, 2019

A Romp of River Otters!

We've seen a few romps of River Otters at Blue Run Park in Dunnellon but I usually get so excited that I don't get good photos.


This time they 'posed' for pics!


Imagine our surprise to get THIS close to them!


And then for them to stop and play alongside the trail was fun for all!


Romp perfectly describes these playful critters!
I did a search for 'groups of animals' and found this neat chart on Pinterest.


So a group of otters is a romp.



A group of Sandhill Cranes is a 'herd' and young birds that have outgrown their parents hang out together in groups of 20, called a "bachelor flock." 


We have seen HUNDREDS of Sandhill Cranes migrating North this week. You can hear a funny 'honkedy honk'  as they fly over. The sound is almost like a donkey braying!


And now if you don't want to see a 'congregation'...


just fly away NOW!


Because a group of Alligators is called a congregation. 


And these are young Alligators, just hanging out, soaking up the sun! (these aren't the babies we are seeing at the small stream but a 'pile' of young ones near the river)


I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE
and I’d Rather B Birdin’.

40 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Of all the creatures I have ever watched Otters are some of the most delightful and they seem always to enjoy life.

Jeannie said...

A blessing of unicorns - does that make them real?
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

eileeninmd said...

Hello, the otters are so cute. It is great they posed so nicely for you and your camera. I love the Sandhill Cranes in flight, pretty photos. The baby gators are cute. That is a nice chart you found on Pinterest. Thank you so much for linking up your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your day and weekend. PS, thanks for visiting my blog and for leaving a comment.

Sandy said...

They are adorable. I loved teaching 4th grade science. Group names was one of the things in our science textbook back in the dark ages. I had a bulletin board with pictures from a NG calendar with the group names on them. You brought back a sweet memory plus they are so cute.

MadSnapper said...

very interesting and no I don't want to join that congregation, but I do like seeing them. that is a lot of sand hill cranes in one spot. wow... I would die of joy if I saw the otters. I have seen them twice at our park but it was still dark, sun not high enough to get shots of them.

Arlene G said...

Otters are the cutest critters. Thanks for sharing!!

Jeanie said...

I think otters are cute and when they pose, all the more adorable! Love these pix!

Vee said...

Yikes! That is one unfriendly congregation. I don't think I could attend that church. A romp sounds like a lot more fun. The otters are so darling!

Out on the prairie said...

Otters are so amusing, I watched a family last year always near the same area.

carol l mckenna said...

Oh awesome otters! Wonderful nature shots ~ ^_^

Happy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Ricki Treleaven said...

I love animal group names....and i like that otters are a romp of otters. How much fun! Cute post!

Bill said...

Otters are fun to watch and cute to see. I think they like it when people stop and gawk at them. I didn't know that a group of alligators were called a congregation. Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos.

Meditations in Motion said...

Oh, those otters are so handsome. Romp is a great word to describe a group of them. So disappointed I didn't see any gators while we were in Florida, but we did see a bunch of Sand Hill Cranes.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

I love the otters! The alligators not so much... ha haha....

Terri D said...

Otters are SO fun to watch! You caught some great moments on your hike! These are really great photos and you offered us some fun information!! My all-time favorite is that a group of monkeys is called a congress. Very appropriate! LOL

Ariadne said...

Wow amazing photos again. And the collective nouns are so interesting! AriadnefromGreece!

Kate said...

I love the otters - we used to have one hanging out at our cabin and was a treat to see. Good photos of the otters and alligators.

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Oh, so exciting to see the otters! Wonderful photos of all. I don't think I am going to join that congregation, though! :) x Karen

Ann said...

Great pictures today. How fun to see the otters.
I would be afraid to pass a collection plate in that congregation...lol

Rose said...

I would love to see otters in real life! They are so cute. We have heard though, that they will catch every single fish in a pond or strip pit. I don't know if that is true or not.

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I'm swooning over those otters!!

happyone said...

How exciting to watch the otters.
Interesting leaning the names of the groups of animals.

Yesteryear Embroideries said...

We have Sandhill Cranes migrating here through the winter........there are so many.....in the hundreds.......I did not know they were called a herd! Lovely photos of the otters and the crocs!

Carla from The River said...

Two of my favorite animals! River Otter and Alligators. :-) When we canoe the river otter will follow along the canoe and play. I absolutely love them. So far no alligators have followed our canoe. LOL I will keep you posted if they decide to move North.
And tell those silly sandhills, we are under 2 feet of snow and -20! LOL Stay in Florida another month.

Anonymous said...

Oh the otters are delightful! I want to play with them! And then there are the crocodiles... Yikes!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Oh how wonderful, Diane! Otters are so fun to watch. Your hikes always give you such great surprises! ♥

Maggie Ann said...

I like the cranes'....how beautiful!

Cherdecor said...

I do love otters. They are so fun to watch. I wish you would take a video of them sometime. We do not see these animals in Ohio.

Kathy said...

You always see the most interesting animals and birds. Imagine otters!

Tomoko said...

How wonderful!
Those creatures are so lovely. I did not know otters are such smart creatures, posing for your camera!I enjoyed your hike photos.
Have a good new week.

Petite Plangonophile au chocolat said...

Hello Diane,

It was really refreshing and educational to read your latest hiking adventure. Those otters were such sports to allow you to get closer to them.
Warm regards from the South of France,
Arlette

BeachGypsy said...

Hi there my friend!! Just wanted to say a big "thank you" for the sweet comments and prayers during our sad sad time. I'm trying to get back to blogging, but I am so far behind. I've been reading your posts and loving them.....just haven't been up to commenting very much. I love today's pictures-----love those young gators! Love their cute little faces. They are not so cute when they are big, ha ha LOL. I love the otters too, they are so so playful, I love to watch them! You had a great day for sightings!!!!

Anni said...

Oh my goodness...those otter photos! I'm sure I'd still be there, watching it. And the flight pictures of the cranes?...terrific!
Thanks for sharing with us at I'd Rather B Birdin this week and for the birthday wishes.

It's me said...

Owww so cute ...amazing !!....❤️ Love Ria x

Giga said...

I love to look at fun otters, but alligators are afraid :)

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Otters are so cute! I'd be so excited to see them too, Diane. I would not be happy to see the alligators, although I know they also serve a purpose on this earth.

Angie said...

Diane - I am so excited about this post in a number of ways. First, the otters - absolutely wonderful to see them in the wild, and as adorable as they always are. Two, to know that the sandhill cranes are heading North. That means Spring is on Her way (even though we are under a Winter Storm Watch with potential for a foot of snow …) Three, the reference from Pinterest - terrific! Have a wonderful week, my friend!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Wow, that was a wonderful post! Otters (river or sea) are just so fun and romp is the perfect name for these playful animals. And everything else you saw was wonderful too...even the congregation! Wonderful Florida!

Debbie said...

your flight captures are really good, i can not for the life of me capture flight images!!

otters look like really fun creatures and the alligators look happy, like they are smiling!!!

Lowcarb team member said...

Wow! Just love the Otters.
You do see some great critters.

All the best Jan