Author Topic: A litter of otters (Read 5437 times)

mrcharly-YHT · « **on:** 24 May, 2009, 01:30:55 pm »

I thought we had a litter of mink under our pontoon. I've just seen the adult, and it is definitely an otter, with 3-4 kits.

I'm not sure whether there is a requirement to report these or not, anyone know if there is an organisation that tracks numbers of otters?

matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 May, 2009, 04:11:50 pm »

The fisheries department of your local Environment Agency office may well be interested as they need to be able to advise the local fisheries if significant predation starts to occur.

Also the Wildlife Trust may be interested for simmilar reasons.

If you want to find who the local environment agency office, PM me and I will check on Tuesday when I am back in the office.

Matthew

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 May, 2009, 04:42:28 pm »

Quote from: matthew on 24 May, 2009, 04:11:50 pm

The fisheries department of your local Environment Agency office may well be interested as they need to be able to advise the local fisheries if significant predation starts to occur.

If that is the attitude to otters I won't be notifying anyone.

There are plenty of fish around here, and lots of fishermen/anglers.

In nearly six years of living on the river this is the first otter I have seen.

matthew · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 May, 2009, 05:21:50 pm »

Mr Charly the EA will be glad the otters are there.

Otters are an indicator that the river is very health as such the EA will want to know the range that they use so they can blow their own trumpet.

It is if the fisheries complain of significant predation they know there are otters locally then the EA will advise such that suitable fencing can be put in place whilst allowing otters to still use the rivers. Also it means the EA can look out for persecution of the otters.

Sorry if my meaning was confused. The EA will be glad to know that the otters are there as they can be hard to spot.

Matthew

PS I will check the internal documentation with regards Otters on Tuesday. Note I am not employed by the EA but am currently seconded to one of their offices.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 May, 2009, 05:45:49 pm »

I worked with the ea for a while.

On reflection, I'd rather absolutely no-one official knows about the otters.

They are nesting right on our doorstop, we live on a barge moored up against the pontoon.

If officialdom becomes involved I can see use getting all sorts of grief about whether we are allowed to live on board, storage of fuel, disturbing breeding otters (protected species), etc.

Thanks for the offer.

little miss mac · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 May, 2009, 07:53:47 pm »

I'd love to see some pics.

border-rider · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 May, 2009, 07:58:11 pm »

Me too.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 May, 2009, 11:39:46 pm »

I'll try to get some, might not see the kits for a few weeks.

Don't want to disturb them much.

matthew · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 May, 2009, 08:31:30 am »

Mr Charley

I have now checked EA internal work instructions. There is no specific instructions regarding Otters except for the fact that the EA will perform an autopsy on dead otters that are reported to check for pollution incidents.

There are people whose role is 'biodiversity officer' in each EA area who would be pleased to hear about otters, though I understand your reasons for wishing to keep quiet for a while.

Good luck getting the photos we all want to see.

Matthew

Wascally Weasel · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 May, 2009, 08:36:45 am »

Woud love to see the photographs too!

Horrible tangent but there is a company in Buxton that makes thermostats and the like - it's called Otter Controls.

Moloko · « **Reply #10 on:** 26 May, 2009, 12:47:40 pm »

You're so lucky. I'm so envious, enjoy every moment.

Tiger · « **Reply #11 on:** 26 May, 2009, 02:35:23 pm »

I always wanted a pet otter. Ever since Tarka. I think they are brill.

Kathy · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 May, 2009, 02:41:39 pm »

Quote from: Tiger on 26 May, 2009, 02:35:23 pm

I always wanted a pet otter. Ever since Tarka. I think they are brill.

Get a fert - same cheerful poinginess, but far more human-oriented. And if you're (un)lucky, you'll get a water-loving one who will insist on joining you in the bath, like our Kitty does.

Moloko · « **Reply #13 on:** 26 May, 2009, 07:17:33 pm »

Quote from: Kathy on 26 May, 2009, 02:41:39 pm

And if you're (un)lucky, you'll get a water-loving one who will insist on joining you in the bath, like our Kitty does.

Kathy: Actually, Officer Drebin, it's a ferret.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 June, 2009, 10:08:15 pm »

I think you should have an "open boat" for YACFers. I've never seen a wild otter and I'd just love to.

With otters, isn't it just the female that brings up the young? Bloody single mothers...

Jezza · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 June, 2009, 10:15:24 pm »

I was out for a walk one day near Blaxhall, and there's this small bridge which crosses the river Alde - only a small stream there. It had been raining that morning but the sun had come out and the road was shining. In the distance coming towards me something caught my eye, and I stood still, right in the middle of the road. I couldn't believe it - three otters, gambolling down the lane. The two smaller ones were splashing in the puddles and generally larking about. I froze, and just watched them get closer and closer. Then, when they were only a few yards away and I was holding my breath, one looked up and spotted me. It gave a kind of squeak of surprise, and they all then slunk comically away into the long grass.

I've had lots of memorable wildlife experiences - meeting elephants in the bush, canoeing around hippos on the Zambezi or coming face to face with a leopard on the porch one night in Chimanimani, but those otters count as one of the most magical encounters.

Wascally Weasel · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 June, 2009, 08:35:11 pm »

Never seen a live one, would love to though.

Kathy · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 June, 2009, 10:12:17 pm »

Quote from: Wascally Weasel on 17 June, 2009, 08:35:11 pm

Never seen a live one, would love to though.

They have them at Chessington Wurble of Adventures.

(but I'm not recommending you go there - it's 'spensive and over-rated)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 June, 2009, 10:20:10 pm »

I've seen them in sanctuaries (Bungay, Suffolk and Buckfastleigh, Devon).

My brother worked for more than 30 years for English Nature, based on the Severn in Shropshire, and he never had a positive sighting. He says he once fleetingly saw something from a distance which may have been an otter.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #19 on:** 30 November, 2010, 09:04:56 am »

One, at least, is still around. Found the tracks in the snow on the pontoon last weekend (they are very distinctive). It had wandered about a bit, tried to open the door on the narrowboat (fortunately failed).

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #20 on:** 30 November, 2010, 12:49:15 pm »

I saw the one that used to come to the fishing boats at Kylesku.
The current tame Otter seems to be at Tobermory. There's actually no such thing as a European Sea Otter, they are all Lutra lutra. Someone else's film.

   YouTube
   - Elvis the Otter at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Scotland.

matthew · « **Reply #21 on:** 30 November, 2010, 01:04:48 pm »

Good to hear that the otter is still occupying that range.

I had a CCTV culvert inspection that observed a mammal playing around 90m up the pipe from the outfall. Biodiversity got very excited and we had to go out to site on two further occasions with experts to try to identify the animal.

It was either Mink or Otter. Unfortunately the video lacks scale and has poor lighting and no prints could be found to confirm so it is believed to have been transient.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #22 on:** 30 November, 2010, 01:08:57 pm »

Look for the poo.

"small piles of black tarry poo with a very strong smell (often fishy) and generally lots of fish bones or scales. "

matthew · « **Reply #23 on:** 30 November, 2010, 01:22:00 pm »

We had the otter expert from the wild life trust with us, no prints, skat, ... nada. The only trace were the remains of dinner, signal cray fish, which we were quite happy to see being removed from the water course.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #24 on:** 30 November, 2010, 04:59:42 pm »

signal crayfish are a bit big for mink, I believe.

Also, in my personal experience, Otters will hide from people. Mink come out and take a look at you. I've photographed one from less than 2ft distance.

Author Topic: A litter of otters (Read 5437 times)

border-rider

Tiger

Jezza