It's always a special day when I see an otter at Fowlmere. There have been about a dozen sightings a year since the first record in 1997, so the chances of being in the right place at the right time are slim, but it does happen occasionally.
I was in Reedbed Hide at about 8pm last night, listening to a couple of visitors enthusing about what they had seen - as well as the predictable barn owl in the box and turtle dove in its favourite dead tree, a marsh harrier had done a fly-past before dropping into the reeds, and they had watched a badger as it trotted along the edge of a field. Then there was a disturbance in the water in the middle of the mere, and we realized an otter was fishing in front of us. As it progressed to the back of the mere we realized there was more than one, and then they disappeared from view into the reeds. The visitors were thrilled, but there was more to come. A few minutes later we realized that the otters were back, closer this time, and as they swam the width of the mere we realized there were actually three! We got a better but brief view as they climbed out of the water, and we could see they were a mother and two cubs. Fantastic! And to cap it all, a kingfisher came and sat on a post for long enough to give us great views.
Visitors often ask me when and where are the best time and place to see otters here. I have seen them at all times of day, but most sightings have been in the evenings. I'm not sure if they are more active then, but that's when the quieter visitors tend to come and watch and wait.