View From The Shed by Shaun Finnie - SCHRODINGER'S OTTER

SCHRODINGER'S OTTER

I'm in danger of going all philosophical this week. Let's start with a simple question and take it from there...

If there's an otter (or more) on the RSPB Old Moor reserve but nobody ever sees it, does it really exist? This theoretical query became reality for me at the Old Moor Welcome Shed this week.

We've known that Otters have been visiting the reserve for well over a year now. Last April we had so much proof that we sent out a press release about it and I even wrote a blog discussing the sightings. Click here if you want a reminder of it. The most important thing to note is that almost all of this evidence was captured on our camera traps which are placed in areas of the reserve that the public don't visit. Most of our staff and volunteers don't even know the precise location of these cameras. Sightings with the human eye have been very, very rare and always at some ridiculous hour of silly o'clock.

This week, one of our more enthusiastic staff updated the Sightings Board that's placed on the side of the Welcome Shed. You may have seen it. It should be the second place you go to on the reserve (after talking to me or one of the other Welcome volunteers). They wrote it in HUGE letters and put a big, multicoloured starry ring around it. “OTTERS” it screamed, for once again we had captured night-vision images of them on the reserve. It hit a rightfully celebratory tone but subtle, it was not.

Within half an hour of opening I'd removed it. During that thirty minute period, ever single visitor asked me, “Where do I go to see the otters?”, “Are they visible during the day?”, and “How many are there?”, as if seeing any fewer than a dozen would be classed as disappointing. I can't blame these guests, I'd probably have asked the same questions if our roles were reversed, but it became obvious very quickly that I was going to spend most of my day explaining that people would not be able to see any otters and we were simply celebrating the fact that they are on the reserve, rather than fuelling guests' delight and expectations at the natural wonders that they actually might observe on their visit.

So what should we write on our Sightings Board? I'm often asked, “How accurate is it? How often is it updated? Will I really be able to see any/everything listed?” My reply is usually somewhere along the following lines – not that I have a script or anything but being asked the same questions time and time again results in me providing a rather repetitive answer... “Everything on the Sightings Board has been seen in the last couple of days. They're all valid sightings, not just what's been seen in the last week or month, nor is it our reserve's 'Greatest Hits'. You have a chance of seeing any of these birds and other creatures during your visit today but you must remember that it's just that; a chance. As we all know, some chances are bigger than others.” And of all the creatures that are to be seen on the Old Moor reserve, you have by far the least chance of all of being an Otter spotter. In fact I'd say you have more chance of seeing Bittern, Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit all within the same visit. Wouldn't that be something? It has happened, more than once, but it's a rare occurrence. Good luck to you.

At this time of year the birds are moving about more than they have been over the winter. For example, you may know that we had some Avocets drop in last week after an exhausting migration flight. I immediately added them to the Sightings Board and told visitors where they could be found. These exhausted birds fell asleep as soon as they hit our lagoon and, after a little rest, fed and preened for a while. Then they took off again. Were they just out exploring our Dearne Valley and might they return after a look around, or had we been the equivalent of a motorway service station, just a waypoint to have a little nap and a bite to eat before continuing their journey? The truth is that, at the time, we had no way of knowing so we kept a note of them on the Sightings Board (because they were after all a recent sighting) for a few days before we felt sure they weren't coming back. That's when we removed it. But those who saw them were delighted and best of all, we'd provided that all-important rest stop for these lovely birds, just like we'll hopefully provide a breeding ground for others of their species later in the year.

Have a look at the current whiteboard. A photo of it should accompany this post. You may or may not see some, all or none of the birds listed on it. The same applies to all of us who wear the blue RSPB colours. We don't have to regularly spot every bird, animal or plant to celebrate their survival. Of course it would be wonderful if we and every visitor saw every creature that we wanted to, but the knowledge that they have survived another season and we have provided food and security for them – however temporarily – fulfils the primary remit for here and all our other reserves. We've Given Nature a Home.

But how good would it be if the Otters would come out and display for us, if only just the once? Maybe if we wish real hard...