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Otters at Napton


Victor Vectis

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9 hours ago, meerdog said:

3 otters have been around Calcutt locks and marina over last winter and recently. Regarding the fence which I had heard about months ago I think there is a public footpath over Calcutt top lock and round the reservoir to the car park so I can"t see how access can be restricted that much.

Yes there is a public footpath on the north and west sides of the reservoir. Calcutt rent the canal side on the east as far as the embankment across the middle and the local fishing club use the embankment, north and west sides. The public have used the east side and the embankment for walking in addition to the public footpath for years. 

 

Cheers Graham

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  • 1 month later...

 See I told you I should worry about the Leak I am going to be floating in the reservoir one night. 

 

Apparently the fence will be at the bottom of the embankment on the far side. I don't know what they are doing about the footpaths. Our end of the causeway could just be blocked as there is no public right of way there. 

 

Cheers Graham

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38 minutes ago, Graham and Jo said:

 See I told you I should worry about the Leak I am going to be floating in the reservoir one night. 

 

Apparently the fence will be at the bottom of the embankment on the far side. I don't know what they are doing about the footpaths. Our end of the causeway could just be blocked as there is no public right of way there. 

 

Cheers Graham

I am assuming here that Crt have been informed about the leak. PS Your boat was still on its mooring yesterday

Edited by Tonka
extra info
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1 hour ago, Tonka said:

I am assuming here that Crt have been informed about the leak. PS Your boat was still on its mooring yesterday

I rang them up ages ago, they didn't seem too concerned explaining it was piled there so there was no great threat. They did say they would get the inspector of reservoirs to look at it though. They also added that the last leak there leaked for five years with no problems.

 

I guess as the water can go round in a circle from the canal to the reservoir to below the locks and back  pumped up again the only loss is in electricity for the back pumps.

 

Thanks for checking on the boat, I am probably there on Sunday so know I won't have to sleep in the car!

 

Cheers Graham

Edited by Graham and Jo
Missed a bit.
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I've seen a few members of the mustelidae family, the big ones are easy, the little ones harder to identify. However a wildlife expert told me one is weasily distinguished t'other's totally different. 

Now where is my mink coat? 

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22 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

I've seen a few members of the mustelidae family, the big ones are easy, the little ones harder to identify. However a wildlife expert told me one is weasily distinguished t'other's totally different. 

Now where is my mink coat? 

Good that has given me all I need to help identify those homeless otters when they come knocking on the boat at night. Do otters like crisps and Jack Daniels?

 

Cheers Graham

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13 minutes ago, Graham and Jo said:

Good that has given me all I need to help identify those homeless otters when they come knocking on the boat at night. Do otters like crisps and Jack Daniels?

 

Cheers Graham

I visited Hawes Villa ca****n site near Silverdale, adjacent to Hawes water, the largest natural lake in Lancashire, the owners son lives in a big static on site, they were awoken by a young otter seeking shelter in their porch. So it can happen. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

This is an Otter Fence gate on the public footpath. Notable features are

 

1) The large sharp supporting piece of metal (covered in a plastic bag by a concerned member of the public). This is skillfully placed to take your eye out as you reach for the operating handle.

 

2) You have to put your hand through the fence to get at the handle from the other side. This is painful.

 

3) There is no hinge in the fencing itself so it has to bend to accommodate the gate. I guess they haven't heard of work hardening and metal fatigue.

 

I have reported the eyesight threatening issue to C&RT and they are supposed to be ringing me back at some point.

 

Cheers Graham

IMG_20190114_094113858.jpg

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I don't think the ban affected otterhound packs,  I don't remember any working packs when I lived in E&W.

Otters are really nice, I can't imagine anyone killing them or trying to keep them away from a food source by means of  a gate! It's ridiculous.

On 22/06/2018 at 13:02, Victor Vectis said:

CaRT put out a notice yesterday saying contractors will be erecting a fence around Napton reservoir to “protect small wildlife from otters”

Otters?

At Napton??

Anyone seen any???

 

(And I’m looking across said reservoir as I type this)

Well, actually, otters are wildlife, they are difficult pets .............. read Ring of Bright Water.

Edited by LadyG
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24 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I noticed a week ago that they are extending this fence round the part of the reservoir that adjoins Calcutt marina at the bottom of the embankment.  Seems to all be very serious, and costing serious money.

Its absolutely a complete waste of money if it is to keep three otters out of the place. It's not my money, I don't really care, but it's just ridiculous, I could get through that fence in ten minutes,  never mind a determined wild animal.

Is the idea to  stop them eating those sad specimen fish or something, I don't think they would bother with smaller wildlife, like rabbits, rats or mice.  What about herons, are they going to net the surface to stop them eating fish?

Maybe we should send them a pair of beavers down from Argyll, then they would soon know what trouble is!

Edited by LadyG
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28 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I noticed a week ago that they are extending this fence round the part of the reservoir that adjoins Calcutt marina at the bottom of the embankment.  Seems to all be very serious, and costing serious money.

What economic or other reason could there be, other than the stated reason? Serious question.

Edited by LadyG
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28 minutes ago, LadyG said:

What economic or other reason could there be, other than the stated reason? Serious question.

My understanding at the time was that there had been substantial bank damage from otters leading to reduced capacity and increased risk of drought closure. If correct that is a good readon to mitigate.

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9 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

My understanding at the time was that there had been substantial bank damage from otters leading to reduced capacity and increased risk of drought closure. If correct that is a good readon to mitigate.

Well, if they were digging out holes for breeding porpoises it might have been easier to build them a nice artificial holt, reinforced.

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12 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

My understanding at the time was that there had been substantial bank damage from otters leading to reduced capacity and increased risk of drought closure. If correct that is a good readon to mitigate.

The bank damage where the GU/Oxford is pouring through to the reservoir has been unaffected by this work 

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1 hour ago, Tonka said:

The bank damage where the GU/Oxford is pouring through to the reservoir has been unaffected by this work 

Where do you mean?  Napton reservoir is only adjacent to the GU not the Oxford, and the GU has a concrete edge on the offside at this point.

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Yes it leaks straight through the concrete  edge, and whatever else the embankment is made of. At this point they have pilled up stones against the fence to stop the otters rather than mud which they use elsewhere. I wonder if otters are good at digging? Incidentally we have moved slightly nearer the lock so I don't  have to walk past the rushing water sound to get to the boat anymore. 

Cheers Graham 

 

 

 

 

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