It's a whole otter world at Lake Berryessa - Wildlife abounds on popular Napa County waterway By Guy Carl

There is more to life at Lake Berryessa than the weekly flotilla of fancy boats underneath the Pope Creek Bridge. For the outdoor enthusiast with a keen eye, an amazing variety of wildlife can be found.

On a recent outing at the lake, I spotted a river otter swimming near a steep bank of shoreline. It climbed up the bank to a tall thicket, and emerged again followed by another otter. As these two reached the water’s edge, a third otter clambered out of the thicket, and then a fourth one as well!

The family went for an afternoon swim as the boat passed by the thicket they called home. After drifting down the shoreline for a few minutes, I looked back at the thicket only to see two more otters make their way down to the water. These two were a little lighter in color and a bit larger in size.

I’d never before seen that many freshwater otters together in one place.

I also saw a pair of nesting Osprey on that same day along the eastern shoreline. The chick in their nest was a bit camera-shy, but I could hear it chirping from a distance. Both parents kept a careful watch while the boat was nearby.

The surrounding hills hold great populations of quail and wild turkey. Especially in the springtime, you can hear them crowing and gobbling throughout the day.

A careful observer can often find an eagle soaring overhead or perched in a tall tree. Berryessa is home to both golden and bald eagles. Blacktail deer are a common sighting at the lake, and you can almost always find one somewhere among the oaks on the hillsides. Coyote can also be found here, as well as rare sightings of mountain lion and black bear. Perhaps someday the tule elk from the Cache Creek preserve to the north may find their way to the shores of Berryessa.

There are hundreds more species of birds, mammals, reptiles, a few amphibians, and of course fish that live in and around Lake Berryessa as well. Whenever I visit the lake (or any outdoor destination), an important part of the experience is seeing the different kinds of wildlife that can be found there.