This winter season has been easy for the Buffleheads. The Beaufort Eagles have wasted little effort and have only managed to cull two that I’m aware of so far ( which they consume in the nearby O.J. Williams Fir).

The large female otter, an experienced and stealthy predator of Buffleheads, with three pups that terrorized the flock last winter, has not reappeared, but one of her pups perhaps, has taken up residence and causes a high level of wariness and defence behaviour. They know that they have little to fear since this juvenile has not learned the necessary stealth tactics.

Yesterday, a dull drizzly day, the otter dragged its catch from the centre of the bay to the bladder kelp patch below and proceeded with much caution in eating its thorny puffed prey alive.