{"id":60723,"date":"2019-10-08T05:34:13","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T11:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=60723"},"modified":"2023-03-25T15:50:04","modified_gmt":"2023-03-25T21:50:04","slug":"muskrat-eating-filamentous-algae-at-farmington-bay-wma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/08\/muskrat-eating-filamentous-algae-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","title":{"rendered":"Muskrat Eating Filamentous Algae At Farmington Bay WMA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MuskratMuskrat eating breakfast – Nikon D500, f10, 1\/500, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I photographed a muskrat I found eating green filamentous algae at Farmington Bay WMA which I thought was interesting because I had never seen one eating algae before. There may have been pieces of cattails in the algae, I can’t be certain about that though. I did a Google search using the key words “muskrat eating filamentous algae” and I found a few other images where it does appear that the muskrats are indeed eating filamentous algae.<\/p>\n

The muskrat I photographed seemed to grasp the strands of the algae while pulling it towards its mouth as it ate it. It almost looked as if the muskrat was sucking or slurping the algae into its mouth.<\/p>\n

My opportunities with these aquatic rodents are limited because when I find them they are usually swimming away from me so when I find one that is out in the open and cooperative I get excited. I probably took more images of this one yesterday than I really needed to but I couldn’t resist.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Muskrat photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I photographed a muskrat I found eating green filamentous algae at Farmington Bay WMA which I thought was interesting because I had never seen one eating algae before.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1022,697,2543,26],"tags":[4004,2594,4366,4286,2571,4094,226,7829,2466,1984,5697,3996],"class_list":["post-60723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-muskrats","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-aquatic","tag-cattails","tag-eating","tag-filamentous-algae","tag-marsh","tag-muskrat","tag-muskrats","tag-ondatra-zibethicus","tag-pond","tag-rodents","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-eating-marsh-mia-mcpherson-6557.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fNp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":106607,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/30\/muskrat-in-a-marsh\/","url_meta":{"origin":60723,"position":0},"title":"Muskrat In A Marsh","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"While looking for birds at Farmington Bay WMA last week I spotted a Muskrat standing up in the marsh through an open area of vegetation.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Muskrat standing in a marsh, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/muskrat-standing-in-marsh-mia-mcpherson-6896.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/muskrat-standing-in-marsh-mia-mcpherson-6896.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/muskrat-standing-in-marsh-mia-mcpherson-6896.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/muskrat-standing-in-marsh-mia-mcpherson-6896.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15082,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/31\/an-osprey-with-its-feet-entangled-by-filamentous-algae\/","url_meta":{"origin":60723,"position":1},"title":"An Osprey With Its Feet Entangled By Filamentous Algae","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 31, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this Osprey at Lettuce Lake Regional Park from the observation tower, the Osprey had tried to catch a fish but came up with just the filamentous algae in its talons.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Osprey with its feet entangled by filamentous algae, Lettuce Lake Park, Hillsborough County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-filamentous-algae-mia-mcpherson-8199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-filamentous-algae-mia-mcpherson-8199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-filamentous-algae-mia-mcpherson-8199.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-filamentous-algae-mia-mcpherson-8199.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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30, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I came across these images of Muskrat kit that I photographed in July of 2020 high in the Wasatch Mountains and realized I hadn't shared the images of them yet.","rel":"","context":"In "Morgan County"","block_context":{"text":"Morgan County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/morgan-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Muskrat kit high in the Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-baby-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-4400.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-baby-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-4400.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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