Earlier this week, I spotted this large weasel-like creature at dawn along the rocky shore of the salt marsh. Its brown fur blended in well with its surroundings. It stood very still when it first noticed me, then moved slowly among the rocks. Once it was on the grass it ran quickly away.
A sign in the marsh reveals that otters have been spotted here. Otters feed primarily on fish which would explain its proximity to the shore. Could this be an otter?
I managed to get closer to this animal than these photographs reveal, but unfortunately, none of those images turned out well. What I did observe at close range was its large fluffy tail. It was covered with black hairs, while its body was medium brown. I don’t recall its tail being as tapered as that of otters. Also, its eyes were more closely set than those wide set ones typical of otters.
So I’m wondering… could it be a fisher? They’re usually crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). Their diet consists of snowshoe hares and porcupines (both plentiful in this marsh). The fisher population in Nova Scotia is scattered and low.
What do you think this animal might be? [Below I've attempted to sharpen a blurred close-up image of the animal.]
In Nova Scotia, the mustelid or weasel family consists of fishers, martens, short-tailed weasels (ermine), mink, river otters and striped skunks.
Oh how exciting that the little guy let you get so close! It looks like a fisher to me, but I’m far from an expert and have only seen one once.
It’s so good to have you back, Amy! Did I ever tell you that I used GoogleEarth to ‘fly’ over Cow Bay and the Salt Marsh – it gave me a much better idea of the layout of your beautimous land!
Cindy, I was surprised that he actually ran towards me at one point. I’ve never seen an otter or a fisher so I’m in the dark here.
No, you didn’t tell me yet about flying over Cow Bay and the Salt Marsh. There’s A LOT of water here. Cow Bay is on the Dartmouth side of Halifax and is known as the ‘City of Lakes,’ so there is a good deal of freshwater nearby too. Nova Scotia’s license plates boast that we are ‘Canada’s Ocean Playground.’ It is a VERY *beautimous* place.
What an intriguing little creature – well done for snapping him for us.
Reggie, I’ve been wondering if I’ll ever get another look at him. If I do, hopefully next time I’ll be steadier with the camera when he gets close.
If I judged only by the photos I’d say an otter, but I trust your powers of observation, and the things you say make it a fisher. Either way, a very cool dawn companion. (Unless, of course, you’re a hare or a porcupine.)
Gerry, I wasn’t successful in finding a photo of an otter that wasn’t wet. The fluffy black tail that didn’t seem tapered was what made it most un-otterish.
Apparently a fisher can survive for 20 days on one porcupine. The cars along Bissett Road probably kill more porcupines than that in that time frame.
Oh my goodness, fisher or otter? Hard to say. I would say fisher, except for its reddish coat. But, then again, you’re in Nova Scotia. Maybe it’s an Irish Fisher.
Just kidding! Doing the jig, heading back to where I belong…
Kathy, if it was an Irish fisher maybe it was looking for the Blarney Stone among those rocks
I’d think most fishers would just stick to the forest where the porcupines and hares are most plentiful.
Tell ya what, Amy, buying a camera with sufficient zoom would be a very good investment. It will please us all
Ha ha swaps
yes it would. I only started taking photos of wildlife this past year. It’s been a challenge for me to just figure out how to use the camera I have already.
You are doing very well… photo reporting almost everyday, I could never do it even once (so lazy).
I’m amazed at how close you get to critters Amy. Coz I’m always walking with at least one dog I never get to see something as wonderful as this.
Hope you can figure out what sort of critter it is.
Sybil, walking without a dog does have its advantages. I still miss walking in the woods with my dog but don’t miss worrying about him running down hares or porcupines.
Hey Amy, I showed these pictures to my son, Ricky, and his girlfriend who spend lots of time out in the wilds. They both gave the “fisher” the vote!
Thanks for the confirmation Cindy
Excuse my ignorance (as one from the UK) but what is a ‘fisher’ – do you have a proper Latin name for that? It doesn’t look like any otter I have seen here. It looks much more like a big stoat. Any idea how big it was?
Jessica, the Latin name for the fisher, aka fisher cat, is Martes pennanti. It belongs to the same Mustelid (weasel)family as the stoat. It is only found in North America. The creature I saw weighed about 20 pounds.
The size and shape reminds me of the otters we have here, only they are darker, – but I have never seen one with a bushy tail. I wouldn’t know if it was a fisher, though, as I have never seen one of those.
The otter population has increased here in later years, so I have seen them more and more often lately, – on the shores, in the small river close to our house, crossing roads, and even in the schoolground where I work. Some camp in people’s gardens, and there are stories of them even going into the houses. The people running the fish farms in the area do not like them much, as they destroy the nets, – or so they say.
Eldrid, I did a search on your European otters and found that they’ve increased in size in recent years, probably due to those fish farms
I’m sure they make for interesting neighbors if they’re bold enough to wander into people’s homes.
This is a toughie. The size and shape certainly indicates a fisher thought they are mostly nocturnal animals. They eat most anything so dead fish and such found along the shore would be of interest to them. I am a wildlife biologist by degree and, I have to say, it looks too big to be an otter. The coloring might have been more the light than his fur.
Need better pictures…time to get that long lens you’ve always wanted in the name of research, of course.
BTW, this is the second time you’ve mentioned the possibility of a fisher near you. Wonder if they are being pushed out by the development you have also mentioned here.
Thanks for your comment Scott. Your expert feedback is appreciated
I think a lot of creatures are being pushed out by new development. It happens so fast sometimes that animals must wander around in a daze after being displaced.
A mink? They are often seen close to the shore in Digby Co.
Margaret, it seemed a bit large for a mink, but they are around here too so it’s possible.
Have you thought to check with Hope for Wildlife? They have handled ottere before and have a fisher in rehab at the moment.
Ray, I met Hope years ago but have never been out to her place in Seaforth. I believe that she has an open house every year and will try to make a trip out then.
It’s too big for anything except an otter. The tail is too heavy for a fisher, and the ears would be prominent.
I have a recent fisher picture if I had a way to get it to you.
By the way, I’ve just finished writing a book on animal rescues and one takes place on the Salt Marsh trail, near a bridge, mid-winter. You don’t happen to have a usuable photo landscape-style, do you??? The one’s I’ve been sent so far are poor quality.
Ray, you can send the fisher picture to me at amylynnbell@gmail.com along with what you’re specifically looking for in a salt marsh image. If you search through the Salt Marsh Trail category from my Home page, you might come across something you consider suitable. I can then send you a higher resolution image of same.