And the Answers Are…..

Of course the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a fish hatchery is, well fish! But did you know that the hatchery plays host too many other critters besides the salmon and steelhead we produce? Here are the answers to last Friday’s quiz:

1)      Belted Kingfisher

2)      Mink

3)      Mallard duck

4)      Osprey

5)      Great blue heron

6)      Sculpin

7)      White tail deer

8)      Northern (red-shafted) Flicker

9)      Common Garter Snake

10)   Grey squirrel

Some of these critters are attracted to the hatchery because of the fish. Others find our ponds to be a great place to take a rest. Many consider the hatchery a part of their home range, nesting in the trees and grazing on the lawns. Some amazingly make it in through the water intake system or are dropped by avian predators. We do our best to keep the predatory critters away from our fish. While one kingfisher wouldn’t make a large impact on the fish it can spread disease (see Tracks in the Snow). However our animal friends get here we welcome them and hope to see them often. Well, as long as they play nice with our fish…..

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