Subject: Montlake Fill critter
Date: Mar 23 22:53:32 2004
From: Alyssa Sampson - alyssasampson at comcast.net


Hello,

Can someone tell me what Capybara-like giant rodent inhabits the
mysterious, tree-surrounded western pond at the Montlake Fill? Ok, it
wasn't that big, I think too small for a beaver and no bigger than my
cat. It fled into the water from the bank as I caught a glimpse, then
swam about and floated in place for a few minutes in plain sight in the
pond before disappearing. I thought beavers were a bit more elusive
than this. I couldn't get a good view of its tail in the water, but I
got the impression of long, straight, and thick rather than flattened.

I saw it Sunday the 21st of March, along with numerous birds that
seemed to be engaged in displays: Northern Violet-Green Swallows doing
their swift-like flight displays, which I'd never seen before; Canada
Geese doing their thing bobbing around at each other; three
hummingbirds having it out over the wedding rock area, rocketing high
into the air; tons of singing Red-Winged Blackbirds; Hooded Mergansers
showing off their hoods. The Great Blue Herons have nice plumes, and
one was bathing rather comically in the shoveler pond.

Looking at a mammal field guide, NUTRIA looks right. Does that sound
right?
Oh, dear, no wonder Nutria look like Capybara. I just looked them up
together and apparently they are closely related.

Alyssa Sampson
Maple Leaf
Seattle
alyssasampson at comcast.net