My first day out for a couple of weeks yesterday (been laid up with the awful cold/cough that's going around) and a visit to Stour Meadows at Blandford Forum for Otters.
I missed the early show (as Mark Hows informed me) due to a late start due to my dear brother getting back from a social evening at 0100, extending our babysitting of Max. At that point I was not best pleased with the results of his self-indulgence.
The Otters had gone downstream and I judged it a fair bet they would come back up at some point, so I amused myself with Kingfishers and the other avian denizens of the river until the resident adult female Otter with her two practically fully grown kits from last year returned upstream briefly, fishing on the long straight reach for a few minutes then again setting off downstream.
Stick it out or not? I decided I wanted more and better, and took the opportunity of knowing where they were for a while to grab a cup of tea before getting to grips with the Kingfishers properly and then working my way down the riverbank to resume surveillance from a handy bench (getting old, feel it after this flu thing, anyway!)
After midday the Otters came up again, and this time they had a serious fishing session right by the black bridge, sun out, good light from behind me, great views, fantastic!
They went round the back of the island to reappear in the pool below the weir, where they sported for a few minutes before galloping up the side and disappearing upstream. Someone was throwing balls into the pool for their dog but called it out when I shouted to them to desist as the Otters were coming through. I did apologise for my brusqueness but they were perfectly OK and in fact thanked me for the heads up as they simply hadn't noticed the small heads in the foamy water. A local PCSO who had been managing to miss the Otters on every visit was also grateful for finally getting the tick.
Mid afternoon having added Grey Squirrel to the day tally I moved up to Wyke Down where the raptors really didn't perform, (just Buzzards and Red Kites, and those distant) but it was nice to see Corn Buntings and small groups of Roe Deer. Seven in the largest but a couple of sixes as well: they seem to do this group thing more in the fairly open downland, round us a "group" equals two or three. My first Brown Hares of the year were also loping about in the fields, becoming more conspicuous towards evening.
Its an easy run home from there at this time of year and I was indoors by 1830. White-tip turned up for chicken but had to grab it and run as his visit coincided with a neighbour letting their fat Corgi out.
Pix later, maybe today if I have time.
John