Otter family sighting in my garden

[clarebear]

Just wanted to share my excitement of seeing an otter family in my garden. Well not actually in my garden but in the stream bordering it but close enough for me. I had heard from the neighbours that they use the stream to travel up to pools to feed but having lived here 5 years I'd started to wonder if they were having me on. Although I know there are otter in the Teifi river system we are off a tributary of a tributary. It was between 10 and 10:30pm and I heard splashing in the stream and thought we'd have a soggy cat in the house. When the splashing continued I shone the torch that way. Much to my delight there were 2 young otter following a 3rd that I didn't see so clearly but looked larger passing up stream within 2 meters of me! They were definitely otter as they had paler undersides and weren't as dark as mink. I've reported the sighting via a county recording website: West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre (wwbic) in the hope it will be of some help to know where the otters are raising their young.

[christ1979]

Well done & what a lovely sight to see! I happened to see something similar around 4 years ago on our local welsh river (elwy). However they are so ellusive not seen anything other than spraints/footprints since

[clarebear]

Oh I love your avatar photo. My partner is planning a camera trap as the stream forms a small gorge so you wouldn't miss them if they come up this way regularly. I wonder if they have a routine and come this way often. Although I read that mum and young have a 20-30 km range so I'd imagine they vary the places they visit often.

This is the first evidence of otter I've seen here apart from a lot of foot prints in the snow but I think they were mostly smaller mustelids and some very small ones.

Yesterday there was more excitement in the garden but this time with a baby grey squirrel being seen off the feeders by a Great Spotted Woodpecker with young.

[camo]

Clare

If you are proposing a camera trap dont be disapointed if an Otter doesnt trip the camera, They tend to give off little heat and some camera traps are not activated. It is still interesting to do though but i would suggest a well position large rounded stone placed in the stream will be used for sprainting and show activity,

Roy

[vole-woman]

That is so wonderful. I have never seen a wild otter, despite finding loads of spraint during water vole surveys.

[clarebear]

Roy thank you for your experience with this. I think that in reality much as my partner would like to set up a camera trap it's not something he will actually get round to. Especially in light of it being unlikely it would work with otter. I will however be getting my wellies on a checking out for other signs. I'll update when it dries out a bit out there after the thundery showers we've been having.