Otters on the River Wharfe

[GFM]

I'm convinced there must besome around on the River Wharfe from Pool to Wetherby, anyone seen any in a nearby location. I see everything else like Deer, Badgers, Stoats but no Otters.

[camo]

hi GFM

Otters unlike many species are very easy to track and therefore with some easy tips you should be able to determine the existence of Otters.

First of all i am sure they will be on the Wharfe and therefore you should feel confident of tracking them.

The main clues to Otter tracking are; Footprints, Poo identification, Slides and observation of animal.

You will be incredibly lucky if you see an Otter so i will dismiss this. Slides and runs are points where are an Otter enters a river or moves through cover. A slide is distinct through its size and smoothness however in a rocky rvier like the wharfe may be non existent so i would ignore for now.

Footprints offer you some chance however prints generally are difficult because they do not always show their 5 toes and dogs with four toes are far more common and will over obscure the genuine Otter track. However for spotting Otter tracks concentrate on tracks that come out of the river and try to find areas of soft silt particular after a flood and carry a photocopy of an Otter track for size and shape. The size of a track does vary depending on age and sex.

Poo offer you the best opportunity for tracking. Otter poo is known as Spraint and has characteristic pleasant smell often compared with Jasmine. Find your poo and smell it, hehehehe. Best place to look is under a bridge, on a smooth domed rocks or a comfotable looking tree root. Otters like to get spraint in the air and will commonly create a small mound of soil to poo on. The Spraint texture is very coarse and will contains fish scales and bones. When very fresh the spraint will have a shiny mucus however this dries out very quickly. The smell is very distinctive and unlike any other animal. Other species like fox, dog, mink or stoat will all smell horrible however teh Otter really is pleasnt.

Dont forget to carry a bottle of hand gel.

Roy

[davecatt]

Hi GFM
Camo knows his stuff when it comes to otters so theres nowt much i can add.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have done a lot of otter surveys in Yorkshire, but obviously cant cover every strech of river, so if you do find any spraints or tracks they will definitely want to here from you, you could try theire web site for info on otters in your area.

There are a couple of threads on this forum you might find interesting.

Otters 2009 by CAMO has a photo of otter droppings.

For film that actually demonstrates what CAMO said about how otters deposit theire spraints look at "Otter film at last" by MIKE H. Notice when you watch the vid how the otters drag theire tales along the ground, with the right conditions on the ground to show the drag mark it is a good giveaway, no other large mammal does this.

Both threads are on page 2 of this forum.

good luck
Dave

[Ben M]

Two Mink and an Otter reported at Wetherby Bridge today.

within 20 feet of the bank on the driftwood

[alan993]

woke up early today and sat down end of garden by the River Wharfe half mile North of Linton Bridge. Saw otter swim by below me and then up onto bank scurrying away. Stopped on rock to look at me so got a great sighting.

[GFM]

Great spotting, do you mean in the direction of Woodhall Bridge, I keep looking but during the day so I've not been lucky so far.

[GFM]

Regarding some of the earlier replies, anyone got any photos of otter droppings or footprints?

[The Woodman]

A few prints here

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/pi...00/ppuser/6822

Badger, Fox, Heron and Otter prints - Wildlife Photography

Fox, Otter and Roe Deer tracks - Wildlife Photography

Message - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter print - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter front feet print - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter and Brown rat tracks - Wild About Britain Pics

and spraints

Unusual Otter sprainting pattern - Wild About Britain Pics

Small fresh Otter spraint - Wild About Britain Pics

Message - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter prints and spraint - Wild About Britain Pics

and feet

Otter front foot pad - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter rear foot pad - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter rear pad - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter rear pad - Wild About Britain Pics

Otter front pad - Wild About Britain Pics

and the beast

Otter under anaesthetic - Wild About Britain Pics

[alan993]

Originally Posted by GFM

Great spotting, do you mean in the direction of Woodhall Bridge, I keep looking but during the day so I've not been lucky so far.

Coordinates of sighting:

N53 54'26.10
W001 25'30.03

[alan993]

Coordinates of sighting:

N53 54'26.10
W001 25'30.03

swimming in direction of Woodhall Bridge but came out onto bank just below me and scurried along bankside up river.