Angry weaselly thing

There was a very angry weaselly thing in the creek down by the culvert when I walked the dogs this morning. I thought at first that it was a bird or squirrel, from the noise -- it was making a shrill CHERK CHERK CHERK! at us. Then I saw it scamper across the bank and jump into the water, swim to another point on the bank and scamper opposite us, shrieking all the while. This, of course, got the attention of the dogs, who plunged cheerfully into the creek to say hello. They came back fairly responsively when called. By this point the furious little chirping creature had vanished.

I'm pretty sure it was a mink -- which means that the thing I saw a few years ago, swimming in a creek, and thought was a mink, must have been an otter, because this was much smaller. It was only about the size of a weasel, dark brown and very quick. I can't find a single resource, in my animal books or online, that mentions what sort of noise mink make, however.

I figure, from its obvious wrath at the dogs and the fact that it didn't just run away, that it probably has a den around someplace. And I have heard that chirping sound before -- I thought it was a bird doing it.