Saturday 31 August 2019

Otters 40 years on

I have always had an interest in Otters, started I think when I read Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell. This was on my first trip to Scotland in 1975 , although we didn't see any that year or for another few years.


I bought books on Otters, watched Tarka the Otter ( 1979) and On the Tracks on the Wild Otter with Hugh Miles (1987) which was based in Shetland. We even met the film crew when we were up in Yell on holiday and had a long conversation. The most recent book is the superb Otters in Shetland , a tale of the `draatsi' by Richard Shucksmith and Brydon Thomason



I attend a course at Preston Montford in 1978 , a field studies course on ID signs of Otters, and returned three times to take part in Otter surveys in Wales. Again we didn't see any otters but had plenty of signs along the rivers. It was all good stuff but at that time Otters were generally only seen at night in England and Wales, or so I was told.




The people running the course didn't even have photos of Otters but a few of the students did and these had been taken in daylight in Scotland.



So my first encounters of Otters happened in 1979, the first at Little Loch Broom. Along with three friends we camped on the hillside for a few days, miles from anywhere. It was a tremendous place for wildlife including Otters which we saw in the day swimming up and down the loch on a regular basis.



A few days after we went across to Handa and saw another two, I was bitten by the bug (well lots if you count the midges and mosquitos.




Another Otter up at Ullapool but this time distant and then nothing for a few years until we returned to Scotland. Back home to Sheffield, at that time had no suitable habitat until they started to clean up the rivers. Now Otters have been seen very close to the city centre.





Since moving to Shetland we have seen many but mostly at a distance but had a couple of close encounters. Shetland has the highest density of Otters in Europe with more than 1500 animals and they are very active throughout the day and night. Around Sandwick we have seen them around all the bays and also in Lerwick





Further north in Shetland the higher the density.




Anyway its a question of patience, I set out the other day to a good spot with three families close together along the shoreline. The wind wasn't in my favour blowing towards the sea but the tides was just falling, a good time to encounter these animals



Within 15 mins an Otter came out of its holt and moved across rocks and into the sea and then swam towards me.





It seem to ignore me even though my scent was blowing towards it and that I was only 25 feet away



I followed it down the coastline, it kept diving for food catching a few small fish and then disappeared.



I relocated it swimming back the other way and then onshore briefly before heading north.  Just at this time a small boat was being launched and two people were in conversation. The Otter stopped swimming and looked towards them.

After the boat left it came ashore and  worked its way back towards its holt but again returned to the sea before heading north again it went round the point, spooking a few gulls and then out of sight.


Talking to one of the locals I was told of another holt in a store shed , the otter here tends to ignore people as well.

Photographing Otters is never very easy, even in Shetland. Before this sighting the last three have been otters seen and photographed at a distance. A long lens 500mm+ would be ideal, then you can stay back. Otters cannot see well but can detect your presence if you are on the skyline, so stay low.

Otters have very good hearing, so a quiet shutter release should be used or even better a mirrorless camera.


The more you can study Otters the better chance to get some photos.

I will be returning to the place again, it was a great encounter

Friday 23 August 2019

Migration trickle

It was good to see that 4 Two Barred Crossbills are still down at Clickimin. These birds tend to be quiet so you can easily walk past them.

 Family party of Whooper swan at Spiggie, they might be local breeders


As we set off last Saturday morning news came in that a Great Snipe had been flushed down at Dalsetter but had flown south. and up in Unst a Blyth Reed Warbler was seen . Things are picking up and as well arrived at Sumburgh Hotel a flock of Swallow (26) flew over while Greenland Wheatears (12)flittered about down the east side.

Greenland  Wheatear






This is a good number of Greenland Wheatears and on Friday there seemed a lot at Burra, I flushed 18 down one side road.




On the pool at Grutness, a Knot and Dunlin(5) fed down one of the channels but generally it was quiet as the terns and gulls have left their nesting area in the boulders.


 Knot





On the beach at Grutness- Turnstone (12), but on East Voe beach , Turnstone (84) Sanderling (5) Ringed Plover (6) Redshank (3) all feeding in the seaweed along the shore line

 Dunlin



 Turnstone
 Knot


 Dunlin
 Golden Plover - Virkie

 Knot

A good variety of waders gathered at Virkie, including Ringed Plover (97) Turnstone (45) Bar Tailed Godwit (2) Black Tailed Godwit (6) Curlew (10) Redshank (15) Dunlin(23) Golden Plover, Knot (12), Sanderling (6)

Bar Tailed Godwit

Yesterday the Crossbills seemed to have disappeared but a few good birds have started to move through with Barred warbler, Quail, Spotted Redshank, Common Rosefinch & Short Eared Owl