A Romp of Otters
By Renny Gehman
Photo by Bill Wilbur
You’re walking along the water’s edge in the Big Mineral Day Use area, hoping for a glimpse of Lucy the Bald Eagle or her mate when movement on the opposite shore catches your eye. What is that? What is it doing? It looks like something—maybe a weasel?—is sliding down the bank into the water. Another one follows it, and another. Then you see them climb back out of the water and do it again! What are they? You’ve just seen one of the most playful and unknown inhabitants of Hagerman: the river otter. We’re usually known for the variety and abundance of our bird population, but our bottomland hardwoods along creeks attract a variety of wildlife like bobcats, raccoons, mink—and, recently, river otters. Photo by Donnie Simmons River otters are members of the weasel family that are equally at home on land or water. Historically one of the most common mammals across North America, extensive trapping and hunting decimated their numbers by the early 20th century. They were prized for their chocolaty brown coat—warm, waterproof and soft—and many ended up as hats or mittens. Until about 10 years ago, river otters in Texas were limited to the Piney Woods in the eastern part of the state, but they’ve been extending that range slowly and steadily. Here at Hagerman, sightings of otters have increased recently, as evident by the number of pictures posted by members of our Photo Club. The consensus of researchers and refuge personnel is that the otters have successfully established a presence on Refuge land within the last decade. Does this mean you’ll see one every time you visit? Unlikely, as otters spend most of their time in water, and are relatively shy and inconspicuous. | Spring Break Activities--Register Today! Eclipse Viewing! Save the Date! Texoma's Winter Backyard Birds Monarchs are Struggling--You Can Help! Butterfly Garden Docents Training April 6th Birding with Jack: The Weekly Bird Census Photo Club Field Trip Feb 17th Sponsor the Friends With a Membership The Refuge Rocks! Programs for Children Special Event For Kids At the Library, 2/19 Junior and Advanced Ranger Programs Tram Tours on the Wildlife Explorer Little Sit: Sunrise Bird Count Second Saturday: 2024 Plan for the Refuge Gardening, Mowing and Work Crew Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! Subscribe to Our Monthly Featherless Flyer Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass |
Your best chance at spotting an otter is while they’re wandering through their habitats—which they do a lot—or when they’re exercising their renowned sense of play. A group of otters, known collectively as either a bevy, a raft, or a romp, is most likely to be sighted when sliding down the banks of streams or islands in lakes. In fact, the collective noun romp, derives specifically from this behavior. Slides are about 1 foot wide and located on a slope at the water’s edge. They can be made in grass, dirt, sand or (less likely here) snow. Sliding is a favorite activity. When traveling on level ground otters often run a few steps and then slide on their bellies. They truly know how to have fun!
Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass
Underwater, they are acrobats, using their webbed hind feet to paddle and steering with their strong tails. With eyelids and nostrils that close in the water, otters can stay under for up to 8 minutes cavorting with their buddies, but also hunting fish, which is a favored food. They most commonly consume perch, suckers and catfish but also enjoy various amphibians, like salamanders and frogs, as well as aquatic insects, small mammals and mollusks. And while otters are opportunistic predators, they do not eat carrion. But their second-most important prey are crayfish—which may account for their recent expansion in Texas. I mean, what Texan doesn’t like crawdads?
Adult river otters can vary in size quite a bit, weighing between 11 and 30 pounds with males averaging about 25, females 18 pounds. They are long, slender mammals, with about 1/3 of their average 3-4 foot length in the tail. Their legs are short and heads flattened and their bodies streamlined for easy movement underwater. An otter’s face is marked by long whiskers that are used to detect prey in dark water.
Refuge Update: Jack and the Birding Van participants recorded 7,200 Snow and Ross' Geese on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. It may not be too late to come out to see them! Though refuge lands are open from sunrise until sunset every day of the year, the Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday 9-4, Sunday 1-5. It's a great time to visit the refuge! |
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Upcoming Activities:
The Friends of Hagerman is Hosting 15 Family Friendly Events in February! |
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Save the Date: April 8, 2024 Come and Safely View the Solar Eclipse! |
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Texoma's Frigid-Weathered Friends: Backyard Birds During Brutally Cold Weather When the weather is unusually cold or snowy, you may notice more variety in the species of birds enjoying your seed feeder, suet feeder or thawed bird bath. Thanks to the amazing Hagerman NWR photographers who share their photos on Facebook, we are able to bring you a beautiful collection of birds you may see in your backyard when natural resources are more difficult to find. Like nearly all photos on our website, these photos were taken at our beloved refuge. Click to enlarge images. Thank you to all these wonderful photographers! |
Monarchs Need Your Help! Join the Monarch Research Team Training Wednesday, February 28 at 1pm An Opportunity to Work with Laurie Sheppard and Other Butterfly Enthusiasts
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Birding with Jack: The Weekly Bird Census |
Left to Right: Mike Petrick, Nancy Riggs, Jack Chiles and Terry Goode Each Tuesday a team of experienced birders, including Master Naturalist Jack Chiles, traverse 35 miles of refuge roads and hiking trails, documenting every bird they encounter. This Bird Census is reported to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for use in research, and each week we will bring you a link to their actual bird count, and a summary of their adventures. |
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See the rest of Jack's notes and the latest Bird Census Results |
The Butterfly Garden Docent Program Join Them on April 6th for Training! Do you love butterflies and native plants, like to learn new things, enjoy being outdoors and meeting new people, and like helping others learn? Then consider joining the Hagerman Butterfly Garden Docent Program! |
The Friends of Hagerman NWR Photo Club |
Photo Club Field Trip: Lotus Stalks at Hagerman NWR Saturday, February 17th at 10:00 AM
Join the Friends of Hagerman NWR Nature Photography Club for a field trip. Join us for a photo shoot of Lotus flower stalks at Meadow Pond at Hagerman NWR. The Lotus flower stalks form interesting and abstract shapes in winter. Future Photo Club Events: |
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Sponsor the Friends of Hagerman NWR with a Membership |
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Sponsors Enable the Friends to…
Join Today! Memberships available for $10 |
President's Day Program for the Kids
at the Pottsboro Library:
104 N. Main Street
Pottsboro, TX 75076
(903)786-8274
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Complete a scavenger hunt, a leaf rubbing and identify a few common birds to become a Junior Ranger. At the end of the journey report back to the Visitor Center where you will be guided through the Junior Ranger Pledge and receive a merit of completion. Print a Hagerman-specific Junior Ranger Packet or Advanced Jr. Ranger Packet or pick one up in the Visitor Center. |
| The Junior Ranger Pledge As a Junior Ranger at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, I pledge to protect outdoor creatures small, big and huge. To keep the water, air and land clean. To make enjoying nature a routine. I will share my new skills with family and friends. When people and nature work together, everybody wins! |
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Group Tram Tour |
Register for a Tram Tour Today! |
Sunrise at the Little Sit by Laurie Sheppard | Photo by Cathy Van Bebber |
Meet Jack and the Bird Census Team and learn how to identify the birds of North Texas while enjoying the beautiful sunrise over Lake Texoma! Modeled after Cornell's national "Big Sit" event, a group of dedicated birders invite you to join them at sunrise to conduct a bird count as multiple species fly to the water and the surrounding land to feed. Leaders will bring spotting scopes and will provide tips for identification of the many species you will see. This event lasts a couple of hours, but all are welcome to come and go as they please. Participants are advised to bring a chair, binoculars and water. The First Saturday of every month, beginning 30 minutes before sunrise. |
Location: H Pad, Sadler, Texas 76264 (H Pad is in Sadler, but it is part of the refuge) GPS Coordinates: 33.734961, -96.780582
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Early Bird Walk with Jack Chiles |
Master Naturalist Jack Chiles will lead our Early Birding event, weather permitting. Bring binoculars or borrow ours. Meet at the Visitor Center and return in time for the Second Saturday program. |
Please Register (Optional) so we may inform you via email of unforseen changes/cancellations.
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Second Saturday: 2024 Annual Work Plan for the Refuge with Paul Balkenbush, Deputy Refuge Manager Saturday, February 10th, at 10:00 AM in the Visitor Center
Spring Storm Beauty by Pam Rendall-Bass Deputy Refuge Manager Paul Balkenbush will talk about the 2024 Annual Work Plan for the Refuge. Paul was graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Conservation from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In 1996 he earned a Master of Science degree from Oklahoma State University. His field of study was Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology. Paul is a Certified Fisheries Professional as qualified by the Board of Professional Certification... Future Second Saturday Programs |
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Do You Like to Work Outside? The Refuge Needs You! |
It takes a lot of people to have a beautiful garden! The Wednesday Garden Team Love to work with native plants and meet other gardeners? Come and help us add plants, weed and mulch our beautiful butterfly garden. Garden Team volunteers get first dibs on thinned native plants as well as access to seeds and cuttings for propagation. Gardeners meet on most Wednesdays, but times vary. Contact Us to subscribe to the volunteer garden team weekly email. Provide own tools and gloves. Minimum age 18, or 16 if accompanied by parent/volunteer. |
Mowing and Refuge Beautification: The Work Crew Do you enjoy working outside, mowing, sprucing up hiking trails, trimming and removing brush and general cleanup? Show your love for nature by joining the Outdoor Crew at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Outdoor Crew volunteers meet on the First Tuesday and Fourth Saturday of every month. Contact Us for exact times, dates and other details about joining the volunteer Work Crew. Scouts welcome! |
Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! |
Do you enjoy meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, and like-minded people in our area? If yes, consider joining our team of Visitor Center Volunteers. You will greet refuge guests, distribute maps and other refuge information, and make sales in the gift shop. Shifts available every day of the week: Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 12:30 to 4:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Training is provided. Contact Us if interested. |
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| Thank You To Our Contributors: Renny Gehman, Jack Chiles, Cindy Steele Thank You to the Generous Photographers: Jack Chiles, Robert Chura, Tony Goza, Murali Hanabe, David Helton, Mick Jobert, Amber Lyne Leach, Randall Patterson, Mike Petrick,JRolinc Photography, Pam Rendall-Bass, Laurie Sheppard, Donnie Simmons, Snyder Yahya Steve, Mayve Strong, TOTAL Nature Photography, James Waghorne, Kitta Weinkauf Dory, Danielle Christine White, Bill Wilbur Refuge Manager: Kathy Whaley Deputy Refuge Manager: Paul Balkenbush Visitor Services Manager: Spencer Beard Editors: Patricia Crain, Laurie SheppardFriends of Hagerman NWR Foundation 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, TX 75092 Phone: 903-786-2826 Join us on Facebook: |
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6465 Refuge Road Sherman, TX 75092
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Kroger: Stop by the customer service desk at Kroger and link your Kroger Card to the Friends of Hagerman: the Friends will get rewards for every dollar you spend, at no cost to you.
Please add info@friendsofhagerman.org to your contacts to ensure delivery of registration confirmations, account information and the Featherless Flyer
See you at the refuge!