Myself and my father spotted an Otter today around 2.30. the photo is pretty blurry but the warden suggested that I should mail this picture in case it can be id'ed. Hope it helps the conservation folk as they are doing a fantastic job at the reserve.
What a great photo!
You are very lucky to get a glimpse of an Otter, I have worked on the reserve for the best part of a year and have not seen one at all. Did you see this at the first screen? What time of day was it?
Thanks for the post,
Owain
Hi Owain and Duff
I saw an otter from the first viewing point at Otmoor at around 11.15am on Sunday 25 November 2012. I posted photos on the photo section of this site and I'd be interested to know if anyone can tell whether it's a male or a female. The view was remarkably similar to yours, Duff.
Mary
Hi Mary and Duff,
I agree with Owain. You are both very lucky to have seen an otter (I've yet to see one at Otmoor but they always seem to turn up when you least expect it!). Thanks so much for posting your wonderful photos of them! Without the hard work of the Otmoor team of staff and volunteers these amazing animals are unlikely to be here at all, so a thank you to them all! Mary - in answer to your question, it's very difficult to tell between male and female European Otters without getting up close and personal :-)but as a general rule of thumb, males are larger than females. Male European Otters can grow to 1.5m and females up to about 1m from nose to tip so if you think you otter was over 1m in total length then it's likely to have been a dog.
On a side note, would either of you mind if I or others from the RSPB included the photographs and/or comments you've posted about otters at Otmoor in letters to funders? I'm working for the RSPB to try to raise funds for the continued restoration and mangement of wetland habitats at the reserve and your experiences are exactly the kind of thing that trusts and other grant giving bodies like to hear about.
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful photographs and please do keep posting your RSPB experiences
Jen
I was surprised by the total size (lots of tail!) so I shall tentatively assume he was male. And happy for you to use the photos or comments. I can send larger resolution pics if that would be helpful. Also, I was at Otmoor at the weekend and saw on the notice board in the hide that an otter had been spotted from the first viewing point at least one other time - so maybe it is becoming a regular route.
Larger res pics would be wonderful - thank you Mary. My Email address, should you need it is jen.turner@rspb.org.uk
Thanks again for your help with this