Otters at Napton

[Rob VP]

I saw otters next to Ventnor marina a few weeks ago.  

[tree monkey]

20 minutes ago, mark99 said:

They ruin fisheries.

As a fisherman I understand that and do understand if a fishery needs to fence off their investment,  just don't blame the otter, give any predator an over stocked puddle stuffed full of lethargic well fed fish and bad stuff will happen

[mark99]

1 minute ago, Jerra said:

It is a commercial business and as such has to take precautions, just as when we were in the jewellery trade we spent a lot on burglar alarms, CCTV, special windows etc.

 

It isn't the Otters fault that they have managed to recover from persecution and pollution.  The fence is just one of his costs of doing business just like our security was for us.  He will factor it into his charges.

I tend to agree. I was putting out the view that they are not as cute and cuddly as they look moving in on other wildlife. And not taking one for food but sometimes killing all they find. 

[Jerra]

4 minutes ago, mark99 said:

I tend to agree. I was putting out the view that they are not as cute and cuddly as they look moving in on other wildlife. And not taking one for food but sometimes killing all they find. 

The point is they are a natural part of our UK ecosystem and so the damage they will do long term is next to nil.  UK wildlife have evolved to fit into their niche and live alongside their predators.  Unlike alien species such as Mink they do not have a niche and the wildlife haven't evolved to cope with them.

[Tumshie]

3 minutes ago, mark99 said:

I tend to agree. I was putting out the view that they are not as cute and cuddly as they look moving in on other wildlife. And not taking one for food but sometimes killing all they find. 

I don't think they are at all cuddly - you won't try to clap one twice. ?

[tree monkey]

1 minute ago, Tumshie said:

I don't think they are at all cuddly - you won't try to clap one twice. ?

Clap?

Is clapping an otter some sort of obscure English folk game, a bit like cheese rolling? 

[Jerra]

Just now, tree monkey said:

Clap?

Is clapping an otter some sort of obscure English folk game, a bit like cheese rolling? 

You live to far away from the Scottish Border to understand!   With regard to how cuddly Otters are ask Terry Nutkin.  One of Gavin Maxwell's Otters took his finger end off and it was "tame".

[mark99]

7 minutes ago, Jerra said:

The point is they are a natural part of our UK ecosystem and so the damage they will do long term is next to nil.  UK wildlife have evolved to fit into their niche and live alongside their predators.  Unlike alien species such as Mink they do not have a niche and the wildlife haven't evolved to cope with them.

I've never seen an otter in the wild except in Ireland. All other (dozens) of otter like things I have seen have been mink. 

 

I do recall watching a few mink running up and down an undercut  Surrey river bank  just before a group of noisy  wildlife spotters arived on a fieldwalk and recorded all wildlife failing to spot the mink as being too bloody noisy! The mink went to ground.

Edited June 22, 2018 by mark99

[Tumshie]

2 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Clap?

Is clapping an otter some sort of obscure English folk game, a bit like cheese rolling? 

Yes - You should try it. It's great fun. ?

 

To clap something - to pet it or pat it?

[mark99]

Just like Tumshie is a turnip.... Scots I think?

[john6767]

2 hours ago, Graham and Jo said:

Our mooring is next to the reservoir, will I need to climb over the fence?

 

This is the view of the reservoir from the roof of the boat.

 

Cheers Graham

Presumably it will be the reservoir side of the moorings, but the fishermen will still need to get in so presumably there will be gates.  Must be costing a fortune, and I don't really understand the issue, if there are otters is that not a good thing.

[Jerra]

1 minute ago, mark99 said:

Just like Tumshie is a turnip.... Scots I think?

In Cumbria dialect a Turnip is Tunshie

2 minutes ago, john6767 said:

 I don't really understand the issue, if there are otters is that not a good thing.

I would agree but these anglers don't seem to like things eating their precious fish.

[Tumshie]

4 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Just like Tumshie is a turnip.... Scots I think?

Just like that - but I must say that I didn't realise that it was particular to here.

 

We have a lot of otters up here, there are even some living in Inverness, just up from the Scottish Canals office.

Edited June 22, 2018 by Tumshie

[Jerra]

Just now, Tumshie said:

We have a lot of otters up here, there are even some living in Inverness, just up from the Scottish Canal office.

I wish I had know that when we were up in Inverness in April.  Saw the Dolphins though.

[mark99]

5 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Presumably it will be the reservoir side of the moorings, but the fishermen will still need to get in so presumably there will be gates.  Must be costing a fortune, and I don't really understand the issue, if there are otters is that not a good thing.

It is not a bad thing but it does affect peoples business's. Hence the proliferation of fences.

[tree monkey]

3 minutes ago, Jerra said:

In Cumbria dialect a Turnip is Tunshie

I would agree but these anglers don't seem to like things eating their precious fish.

Lets not forget it wasn't that long ago fishermen used to kill pike because they ate the fish.

 

[Tumshie]

Just now, Jerra said:

Saw the Dolphins though.

Do you know I have never seen the Dolphins and it's not for the want of trying. 

 

 

[Jerra]

3 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Do you know I have never seen the Dolphins and it's not for the want of trying. 

 

 

WOW.  We must have been lucky twice in one month.  Chanondry point about an hour after low tide and there they were.

[Tumshie]

Just now, Jerra said:

WOW.  We must have been lucky twice in one month.  Chanondry point about an hour after low tide and there they were.

That's the place to see them and when ever I go I seem to time it wrong. Some times they put on a spectacular show jumping and playing. I'm glad that you got to see them because I can pop down any time but if you were only here for a short time that was brilliant.

[Jerra]

2 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

 if you were only here for a short time that was brilliant.

One tide each visit!!

Edited June 22, 2018 by Jerra

[Tumshie]

8 minutes ago, Jerra said:

One tide each visit!!

The otter isn't in this picture but this is were you can find him. The Telford Street swing bridge is behind me and I'm standing on Canal road side path as I take the photo. The otter pops in and out of pipe work in the wall on the left hand side of the photo and at the end of the wall is a really old set of steps that you can watch him scamper up and then he just scrambles along the grassy bits of the towpath till he's passed all the lock and he slides back into the water at his leisure - he does not give a jot for the people who may be there on the path and does not seem at all bothered by noise or busy goings on. 

[Jerra]

1 minute ago, Tumshie said:

The otter isn't in this picture but this is were you can find him. The Telford Street swing bridge is behind me and I'm standing on Canal road side path as I take the photo. The otter pops in and out of pipe work in the wall on the left hand side of the photo and at the end of the wall is a really old set of steps that you can watch him scamper up and then he just scrambles along the grassy bits of the towpath till he's passed all the lock and he slides back into the water at his leisure - he does not give a jot for the people who may be there on the path and does not seem at all bothered by noise or busy goings on. 

 

Thank you.

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, mark99 said:

I tend to agree. I was putting out the view that they are not as cute and cuddly as they look moving in on other wildlife. And not taking one for food but sometimes killing all they find. 

Just as foxes will do when presented with a hen coop of fifty hens.

There are lots of people who think keeping fish in a lake to be caught on a barbed hook to be "unsporting"

Anyway, it won't work: the otters will find a route through a fence.

I never thought of them as cuddly, otters are carniverous, british wildlife and part of our heritage: it boosts my wellness to see wildlife.

ttps://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/animals/otter.html

Edited June 22, 2018 by LadyG

[LadyG]

On 22/06/2018 at 18:41, LadyG said:

Bring back the Beaver, they won't stand for any fence nonsense

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/once-upon-a-time-the-catholic-church-decided-that-beavers-were-fish/

[meerdog]

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.