"Scat"tered about the Pier

  I have not spent a lot of time on the pier as of late.  It seems that either chores call or the weather is not playing nicely.  When the pier is icy, I prefer to stay off of it.  It is not my desire to go slipping and sliding off into the cold mud.  Plus, since the old dog is a bit wobbly now, we tend to stay where he will not hurt himself if he falls.  

  Today, however, the sun was shining and the north wind was blowing.  It was chilly but no ice had formed on the boards so I was able to enjoy the pier to its fullest.  While there, I watched the pelicans, cormorants and a few loons as they fished.  The birds always entertain.  As I turned to head back to the Little Bayou House, I noticed that some critter had defecated on the pier.  This is not unusual as the aforementioned birds do not care where they poop but this was not bird poop.  The scat was filled with fish scales and tiny fish bones.  (Yes, I looked at poop.)  The content answered the question of what critter had visited the pier.  Obviously, a well fed otter had lounged a bit after getting its belly full.

  While I will "look" at a scat to identify a critter, I am sure not going to go into a full scale investigation.  There are those folks who will poke and pry the mess to see what the animal had eaten.  Nope.  Not happening.  But if (as in this case), the evidence is quite visible, I will observe before making the call.  So...at least I know who was visiting the pier in my absence.  The otter is the culprit that dirtied the pier!  Delightful...not.  Hopefully, the upcoming rains will clean the pier once again and the otters will have second thoughts about their bathroom habits.