OCR Text |
Show 4B Moab Happenings April 1997 Shelley'e Search? by Raven Tennyson Matt saw it. Shelley wanted to see it. They talked about it all day yesterday. To view the heron better, Shelley crawled forward. Then she heard a splash downstream. Otter she thought, as she turned quickly to search for the sound. She found the splash just as the tail of a Shelley walked downstream from the beach where her family picnicked on the Colorado River. Shelley carried her Field Guide to Mammals, small binoculars and a notebook. She was ready. Shelley wondered will I recognize a river otter if I see one? Walking through the willows at the beach edge, she noticed a set of tracks. Excitedly she examined them closely. A large webbed print covered a smaller print. Beaver or otter? The paddled shaped tail drag solved the mystery. Kids take the animals in this story and match them to the word puzzle. Youll have to count letters in each word to figure it out. carp disappeared. She remembered dHVD floating near a river eddy on her parents H3110 H3AV39 raft and slapping the rafts tube to startle the carp, feeding in the eddy. She smiled. Now the carp startled her! Searching the water for the last time, Shelley saw a black nose pop out of the water. She pulled out her binoculars. The nose disappeared. Drats thought Shelly Ive lost it. She could not identify the Shelley knew the otters skinny tail would leave a thin tail drag, not a paddle shaped tail drag like the beavers. Then she found more beaver sign: small willow drag marks and willow branches recently cut for food. Otters ate fish, not willows and often left fish bones scattered on the beach. She followed the beavers willow drag marks to the water. Something moved. Shelley froze. Very slowly she crouched and crawled to get a better view. She scanned the rivers surface. Downstream a great blue heron browsed against the current. Shelley watched the bird frozen in a stalking position. Instantly the bird pierced the water and speared a large fish. Shaking the fish, then raising it in the air, the heron swallowed the fish head first. animal. A moment NOd3H 3aios or Timj saaoM ivkinv later the nose resurfaced and shortly a rich brown weasel like animal with a long tapering tail rose out of the water. The mammal waddled like an inch worm across the sandstone slab near the water and disappeared into the willows. Hurrah thought Shelley, I look forward to telling Matt I saw the otter too. Memorial Day Weekend May 24 & 25, 1997 Moab City Park Moab, Utah Applications Now Available for -- n c3J X Z p'nt. Qr gj oWT & -- LASS c Artist Booths Food Booths Entertainment |