We've all got our 'bogey' species of wildlife. The bird, animal, or insect that you just can't seem to connect with, no matter how hard you try. Hours spent waiting in silence, patiently and visiting sites recommended by the experts, adopting all the tricks of the trade, resulting in nothing but a sore bum and disappointment. You know the feeling.
I'm a man who spends a lot of time in wet places. Marshes, rivers (I live very close to the River Ouse), lakes and lagoons are places I spend a lot of time. I've even had a long trip to Shetland, the stronghold of my bogey, but came back with nothing. Scotland's west and north coast has provided a few glimpses (even a poor photo), but the otter remains something of an enigma to me.
I know they live on my local river; I know they're seen, often the day before, on RSPB reserves I visit with Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk and Minsmere in Suffolk places where I've heard the "You should have been here yesterday" comments. It was even slightly painful writing and working with Joel on commissioning illustrations by Robin Carter (including the one below) for our otter piece in Wildabout feature in the current (Winter 2012) issue of Birds magazine.
However, last Saturday the tide turned, the lights went green and the planets aligned. Last Saturday, on my first visit to the new Island Mere Hide at Minsmere, the otter was not a rotter - one showed and it showed well, right in front of the hide, clambering up onto land just a few yards away. It spent the rest of the late afternoon fishing in Island Mere, looking a little like "Nessie" as its head emerged in the water: a slinky, oil slick-like shape wriggling through the water before submerging with a roll and a flick of its tail. With bitterns and Bewick's swans, water rail, a murmuration of roosting starlings, barn owls, plenty of marsh harriers and bearded tits also logged from the comfort of the new padded seats in Island Mere hide, plus a surprise pipistrelle bat (considering it's mid-December) it was a great couple of hours.
So thank you Minsmere and I love the new look visitor centre, hides and play area (just for the record, I didn't actually play on it myself). I am now officially not completely rubbish at seeing otters. If you'd like to try for otters yourself, have a look at our Minsmere web pages and I hear that otters are also showing well at Strumpshaw at present so check in there too.
if you have more luck than otters than me, do feel free to rub it in by posting a comment below and letting us know about your sightings!
Hi Isabelle.
Unfortunately I missed the Springwatch otter programme, so thanks for the reminder about IPlayer. I'll definitely take a look because I've clearly been doing something wrong when it comes to seeing otters!
I was going to go looking for footprints and spraints by the River Ouse over Christmas to track down otters on the edge of my village, but the flooding put a stop to any attempts to try that. Glad to see it subsiding now, but it was the worst I've ever seen.