Muskrat Ramble

Part of yesterday's walk was spent standing very still, watching two muskrats eating and preening in the cattail marsh next to the northern Duck Pond. I spotted their den as well but didn't take a picture because it would look very uninteresting, like just another untidy pile of dead cattail stalks. I only spotted it because I knew what I was looking for, a slightly denser packing of the dead stalks. In any case here are two shots of the more active (and more photogenic) muskrat partner.

Munching away at a tasty cattail root; humans have also used the root as food, much like the potato. The dried root can also be ground and used like flour or polenta.

Ah! That was good! Now let's look around for the next tasty bit.

© 2011 by A. Roy Hilbinger