The Mink and the Fish

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About 7:45 Sunday morning before heading to the West Buttermilk beach, I spotted the flash of a brown weaselly animal out of the laundry room window. I yelled for Jamie to quickly look out the bathroom to see what it was. She said it was carrying something and that it was headed back toward the hanging log bird feeder that has had a pine marten in it in past years. I caught up with it as it was going along by the kitchen window and around to the front of the house. Mink!

This picture was taken out the front door glass. Jack and Jesse got a great view. The fish was nearly the same size as the mink and was still alive flopping around. Magpies were a mobbing racket. Seemed like the mink was looking for a place to stash the fish. Under the house? He dug around a little but soon grabbed the fish and escaped the magpies under the fence, likely finding a good spot in the ACES woodpile. It was a nice start to a beautiful 40 degree sunny day. I guess the little beaver backwater created in the restored channel (1996) next to Peggy’s Island holds fish now and makes for good mink habitat. Thanks Beav! Another piece to this story is the Jenny Adair constructed wetland (2007) which has helped the water quality on the Roaring Fork and increased the acreage of wildlife habitat around Hallam Lake. Mountain Lion, Elk, and Mink all right here during the past month.