Jan 19, Lobatos Bridge, Co.

At Lobatos Bridge I found the Rio Grande mostly frozen, with a few areas of open water. I did not find any sign of otters, but tracking conditions were not very good. Most of the snow on the river ice was gone, and the distance between stretches of open water likely made it difficult for otters to use this upper section of river. About 5 miles south of the bridge I surveyed 3 sections from the east rim of the gorge and could plainly see raccoon and coyote tracks in the frozen snow and ice, but saw no sign of otter activity. 

Jan 16, Buckman/Caja del Rio

Jim Stuart and I returned to the Rio Grande at Buckman and revisited the track locations I found Jan 13. We found two sets of tracks made since then. At one set of tracks the intestines of a fish(?) were left behind.

Jan 14, County line

On Jan 14, I found 2 sets of fresh otter tracks at the Taos/ Rio Arriba Co. line on the Rio Grande.

Jan 13, 2009 Buckman/Caja del Rio

I was really surprised to find otter tracks on the Rio Grande at Buckman/Caja del Rio, west of Santa Fe, but there they were, and it looked to me like it might be 3 otters. That's about 40 milers as the crow flies from the release site in Taos. I found 2 places about a mile apart, where there were fresh(within 24 hrs) tracks and spraint/scat.

Jan 11 Otter Survey

Lower Rio Pueblo

Jan 11 Otter Survey

Then at the Rio Pueblo I found many otter tracks and slides in the snow. Some were made since the last snow on Friday night.

Jan 11 Otter Survey

I first stopped at the Rio Grande at the County Line and found one possible otter track among a lot of beaver tracks.

Jan 6-7 Otter survey

Taos got about a foot of snow on Jan. 4th. I looked for tracks on the snowy banks of the Rio Grande on Jan 6, from the rim south of the high bridge using my scope. I did not see any fresh otter tracks. On the 7th I went to the Wild Rivers area near Cerro and scoped from the rim, at La Junta, Bear Crossing, and at Sheep Crossing.  Again I saw no fresh otter tracks. The snow was knee deep, and snowshoes would have helped.