Otter Tracking. (Pic heavy)

[BOD]

Nice stream. Thanks for posting

[Bushwhacker]

Been back surveying again.
Here's some more pics.

Run into/from water.


Several spraints in the grass here.


Run cuts out a large bend in the estuary and the 'X' shows where the other entry/exit point is.

[andrew_cc]

Some great tracks down by the river at my folks house this weekend... three sets coming out onto a muddy bank...

These guys used to be a bit of a pain if you were fishing, one night one swam right past me scaring the heck outta me.

Anyway, here is the piccy

[Bushwhacker]

That's a cracking set. Were the 3 sets all the same size or, indeed, the same animal?

[andrew_cc]

Two of the sets were approximately the same size with the third set being larger. Im inclined to believe it was indeed three separate ones, as they all emerged from the river at this spot and all went in a straight line up along the bank until I lost the trail over a very stony part.

Ill have to go down again with the camera a few times to see for sure if there are three, but in all honesty, Im not entirely sure when otter breed, Ill have to check online. I remember seeing young ones there a few times during the summers though.

That river in notorious for having lots of wildlife but every time I do take the camera down I can never seem to get a ‘good’ shot. Think there was only one I ever managed that I liked of a heron at sunset. And Im sure the kingfisher likes teasing me, getting out of range and flying off whenever Im ready…. its also a wonder he can fly with that stomach of his, its amusingly large considering his tiny little size :P !

[Bushwhacker]

That could well be a bitch with two youngsters.
They have the ability to breed all year round.

[Lupin Rider]

I was sat by river in a wood near our place tonight silently waiting to see if i could see a roe buck ive watched from the same spot a few times when i heard a plop on the bank opposite and spotted what i can only describe as i imagine to be an otter to pop up throw something on the bank, do a flip back into water swim along and under a overhanging tree. After a minute it poped out from under e tree and did the same again. Tried to get a snap on my phone but its only a shot of shadey river. Question i have is do you get otters on rivers up here? Or is my brain /eyes deceiving me?

Id walked out with a full rucksac (cheers louis) and my binos were unfortuanetly in the pack.

[Bushwhacker]

Question i have is do you get otters on rivers up here? Or is my brain /eyes deceiving me?

That's what this thread is for.
It should give you enough pointers to be able to find the necessary field sign to know.

[Lupin Rider]

Hoped to get out there today but ended up with a 16 hr work day instead.

Will let you know how i get on.

[nic.]

Really useful - We'll go and have look at the streams below our house- maybe I have been unfairly accusing a fox for taking out chickens.

[Bushwhacker]

Really useful - We'll go and have look at the streams below our house- maybe I have been unfairly accusing a fox for taking out chickens.

I doubt very much that it will be an otter doing that. Mink on the other hand............

[nic.]

Could be but I thought you either had otters or mink in a stream, not both, or not for long. When the salmon run up our stream there are definitely otters. I just have a better idea of what to look for now. Most of our birds have been lost to foxes but occasionally a bird gets dragged down towards the river rather than up the hill.
still when I get a chance I'll take some photo's

[Bushwhacker]

Some possible holt sites.


Spraint was found very close by.


Prints found near this one.


Feeding sign found near this site. The tree root system is ideal for them.