Shetland Otter Watching

Family at lye up

2012-02-03T00:02:00.000Z

Drying off on Bladderwrack

2012-02-01T20:38:00.003Z

Better late than never- a few favourite images from 2011

2012-01-20T11:14:00.008Z

Crab catcher- Greenback

2011-04-22T20:52:00.005+01:00

As with the sequence bellow, I crawled on my belly along the shore to get myself into a good position where most importantly the Otter would not be disturbed by realising my presence. Getting into such close proximity is not always possible when photographing Otters and it should never be attempted unless you are confident the animal will not be aware of you. If you think there is a risk of disturbing an Otter by trying to aproch it, there probably is, be fare and put them first and not your pottential images!
After this large Greenback was consumed and foraging had once again commenced, I waited untill he was far enough off shore before retreating to carry on my circuit of the site. Over an hour later on my return he was still catching crabs in the same area.
Interestingly the second cub and mother were no where to be seen. This is not unusual though as at this age cubs, especially males can spend quite some time foraging by them selves. I hope that next time I visit the site I find them all together again...

Crab catcher- Velvet

2011-04-22T20:36:00.003+01:00

A magical encounter with this cub (about eight to nine months old) yesterday evening. Throughout the hour and a half of the encounter several crabs were caught, both velvets and greenbacks. The tide was well out and I stayed well back till I had an opertunity to stalk into a good photographic position whilst making sure I remained unseen, in my Stealth Gear of course!

Shetlands coastal 'Kelp jungle'

2011-04-18T20:21:00.000+01:00

Spent quite some time following two cubs foraging through the kelp bed jungles, these are some of the biggest tides of the year. Although an ebbing or flowing tides are usually when Otters are most active, tides these extreme can make life slightly harder for foraging Otters that tend to prefer foraging at the bottoms or around the outsides of submerged Kelp beds. The collapsed Kelp makes life that little bit harder.

Mother, three cubs and the eel robber!

2011-03-10T22:30:00.001Z

Enjoyed a wonderful encounter with a mother and her three cubs. When we found them (on a peninsula which I know well to be her favourite foraging ranges)they were well the way through the consumption of what looked to me to be a Conger eel. There was bits of chewed up fish matter smeared and scattered all over various areas of the exposed bed of bladder wrack seaweed, which was exposed by the ebb. Almost like piecing together a crime scene, I could well imagine and visualise each cub trying to take there turn at their share of the under water creature as they chased each other around and we could see that this was far from over!

The mother then arrived back onto the shore with a smaller catch which she released to the siblings and left them to squabble taking up another turn of her own on the eel. But a dog, a full grown adult (who I see regularly and am pretty sure is the father to the three), appeared on the scene. I had been watching him foraging some distance away and was not at all surprised to see him try to muscle in, but she was having none of it and saw him off. Not well enough though as his second attempt to rob her of her hard earned catch immediately fell into fight with one pulling against the other but this time his power won the day and off he scurried!

Some recent images

2011-02-18T13:26:00.003Z

Mother and three cubs

2011-01-14T22:15:00.002Z

An encounter today that simply could not have been better! Spent a couple of hours with a mother and three cubs at a site I have not visited for over three months, wonderful to see them doing so well!
The wind was quite strong and on-shore which was ideal- scent blown well away from the direction of the Otters and also the noise of the wild sea on the rocks easily drowning out any noise from the shutter.
I moved into a position whilst they foraged off-shore, well back from where I expected them to land. later during the encounter they worked closer each time they came to shore until at one point two cubs were on one side and the third at my other whilst it devoured an Octopus, a marvelous sight! On more than one occasion they were practically 'nose to lens', too close to focus with my 200 2.8 that I was using!!
Astonishingly one of the cubs actually walked across the backs of my outstretched legs as I lay flat out on my front on the bladder wrack seaweed between boulders, hood up, gloves on, all but invisible to a very poorly sited Otter at any distance.
The Octopus consumption was indeed rather amusing, the cub was not at all impressed with the writhing sucker stretching extremities but once it got the right approach made light work of it. Its amazing just how many species they learn to cope with both on-shore and indeed in the water.

A ferocious fight

2010-12-29T21:34:00.004Z

Its been an extremely busy few weeks and so unfortunately there has been precious little time for photographing Otters. Finalising plans for our very busy 2011 season along with rounding off this year of wildlife tours and holidays has unfortunately seen me spending far too much time in doors and of course I have my own little cub to spend time with, our son Casey is a joy that is now just about the only thing that can keep me from the ebe and the tracks of the wild Otter!

Although I have of course been seeing Otters recently, bloggable content and images have just not been possible (see above!). But this was an amazing encounter today involving a resident mother and a dog who I had not seen in the range for some time and I suspect that's exactly why she gave him the send off she did!

I had picked up the dog who was clearly on a mission, following the shoreline and only landing onshore to spraint and sniff out signals as he went. Up ahead though I picked up a second individual coming from the opposite direction. I knew from experience of the area they were both heading for the same 'sprainting junction' which is a small promontory where Otters use both as a lie up and especially as an 'information station'.

Sure enough they were nearing the exact spot, luckily I was keeping up and arrived almost simultaneously to them. I literally had no time to check histograms or check shutter speeds...they met as they landed, both seemingly as surprised as the other. The dog had hardly had time to even sniff the air and she was onto him, her loud whickering and wailing seemed to settle as they dipped out of view then up onto the bank she chased him into a ferocious fight which probably lasted only a minute or two.

Their writhing bodies rolled down amongst the boulders where he swiftly retreated and was most certainly sent on his way. I was amazed at the sheer viciousness of the encounter and yet as I watched and they went off back in the direction they had come, it was if nothing had happened, he was sniffing and sprainting on the shore only 40-50 metres away and she carried on to her cubs, which was where I caught up with her ten minutes later further up the shore.

How fascinating it is to wonder what it was all about, it seems most likely to me (but I cant be certain) that he is not the father of this years cubs and so why he was met with such aggression. I have watched him in this range many times and I'm sure they know each other very well, what ever the reasons were her message was loud and clear- he was not going to be tolerated!

It was rather humbling to see her look down from the bank as he scuttled away...

The photographer in me of course wishes I had had a faster shutter speed and better light, but the natural st in me over rides this, it was a rare opportunity to capture such aggression at all.

05/12/10

2010-12-29T21:19:00.005Z

My first chance in weeks to get out with the camera and visit one of my Otter families. Fortunately I found her pretty much where I thought she'd be with her cub, Frustratingly however time was against me and the lovely afternoon winter light faded fast, and i only managed a couple of images, she was aware of an unfamiliar object on 'her' shoreline but I was perfectly still and my sent carrying away inland. She looked straight in my direction for a brief second but obviously couldn't see what was there that was different and so carried on foraging. Within minutes the light had gone. I packed my camera bag and just followed them as they fed.

Cubs carried to cover

2010-12-29T20:26:00.003Z

12/10/10
I'm back dating this posting in order to try to catch up on some postings to my Otter blog. This encounter was to special not to write about, a very rare and privileged spectacle indeed.

Whilst out birding with James McCallum my attention was drawn to the oh so familiar distant calls of young Otter cubs. I encouraged James that we should check it out as the squeaks sounded to me like very young cubs.

On arriving at the shore the squeaks were clearly getting louder, then with a breaking bow wave and a sleek dive we saw the mother as she approached from around a headland, but she looked 'awkward' on the surface. As she surfaced next time I could clearly see what was hindering her profile, she was towing a cub by the scruff of its neck. It was incredible to watch her dive whilst carrying the cub like this, but it was clear she was on a mission.

I whispered to James that she would be moving the cubs from one holt to another and would very well go back for other cubs and we must be extremely careful as mothers with cubs are very sensitive. James though is no stranger to field craft techniques and had witnessed similar behaviour in other mammals such as foxes and stoats.

I ushered James to lye flat in a hollow so as we would be out of sight (the wind was on-shore so not a worry). Surprisingly instead of carrying on along the shore in the direction of a holt I knew of she carried the cub straight towards us, up the beach and then continued on up a deep ditch towards an iris bed some 20-30yards inland.

Leaving the little darkly furred infant cub to squeak for her return, the mother retraced her footsteps to the shore, then back around the headland before returning with another. We were both utterly enthralled, again she passed us barely 10 metres away.

Although i have witnessed this before I have never been any where near as close, I was of course longing to un zip my camera bag and capture these magical and intimate moments that quite literally few people will ever witness. But I knew full well that even a single shot of the shutter release could alert her to our presence and there was no earthly way I would risk that- no matter how rare an opportunity it was to capture such images that only a mere handful of naturalists or photographers have.

We watched and waited totally still for some time in case she had more cubs to ferry but the cubs squeaks got fainter as she led them inland up the iris beds. We only witnessed her transport two but they could have been her third or maybe even fourth trips carrying cubs.

Our birding had indeed been great, but this was an encounter that will never be equaled, enjoying such intimate and secretive behaviour of a mother and infant cubs, which I reckoned to have been no more the three months old- simply unforgettable.

Belated posting

2010-09-17T10:49:00.003+01:00

What a struggle its been over past few weeks, I've been with out a laptop since my hard drive crashed so editing and uploading images has been few and far between.

These images are of a mother and two cubs taken the week after I returned from the Birdfair a few weeks ago. The cubs are between four and five months old I reckon. Although they seem to be quite familiar with the water they were reluctant to follow the mother off shore when she was foraging.

Cubs at play

2010-08-07T18:39:00.004+01:00

Finally managed to upload a few images from my Otter antics over passed couple of months. This sequence are from an encounter I enjoyed in late July, of a mother with her two cubs. It was a beautiful still summers night, but unfortunately the light was rank. It was a fantastic encounter none the less, I was with them for nearly two hours, at one point down to about 20feet as the cubs play fought in front of me in a mirror calm rock pool. This family are not animals I know well as they are at a location I do not normally visit, I reckoned the cubs to be about 10 months old.

Unique encounters

2010-06-12T21:56:00.002+01:00

Few people are lucky enough to enjoy an encounter with wild otters as they awake and start out for the day, or often in their case, tide. I took up position just after the tide had turned and had started to ebe, soon after they emerged, stretching and yawning as they slowly awoken, each sprainting then sniffing the air. I sat totally motionless, confident that to them I was no more than a part of the landscape I had blended myself into.

I followed them for over two hours as they foraged and hunted amongst the kelp Forrest's and rock pools till eventually they settled down for a good grooming session, which I new would lead to a snooze and when it did, I left them to do so.

Time out

2010-05-25T22:19:00.002+01:00

What a wonderful afternoon. I took time out alone today to get out with the Otters and visited one of my favourite females. Her single dog cub is about nine months old now. I was with them for over two hours, often less than 15 meters from them. They slept for just under half an hour during the encounter, only to be woken by a dog Otter, who I am almost certain is the cubs father. Unfortunately their brief encounter was just out of view from where I lay. From what I did see though the encounter was actualy amost affectionate, he even groomed for a short while close by before carrying on his way.

The thrill of lying so close to an animal as shy and secrative as an Otter, knowing full well that the slightest sound or movement is all it takes and the animals will be gone is a feeling that I know will never tire of.

This was just what I needed today, with few spaces free from guiding and seemingly endless sleepless nights due to our six and a half month old son teething- I needed some quality time in the place where nthing else matters- in the ebe alone with the Otters!

Four days- 26 Otters

2010-04-22T22:02:00.004+01:00

What a fantastic four days! Never really tend to post about taking Otter photography clients out but on this occasion I was encouraged to. The weather was at times horrendous but the company was great and the quarry even better! We were out for four days, visited eight sites and saw 26 Otters. This may sound impressive to some, and indeed it is, but the sites I visit throughout the Isles it is not uncommon to see up to or over double figures in a day.

It was indeed hard core though, 0600 starts meant it was up and about at 0530! Just what you need to do to catch the tides some times. Not all photographers encourage you to take your own camera and indeed I never set out to, but I never take much persuading when asked to do so!

We witnessed some awesome activity, some of which was even unusual for me to see, a bitch taking out a rabbit was enthralling to say the least. She caught it on her way back from bathing in a freshwater, peaty water pool.

A close encounter watching a crab being consumed was also rather special. As is so often the case, I was able to predict the next move by an otter, this time, bound for the shoe with a crab, ready for consumption. A rocky out crop covered in Bladder wrack seaweed was an almost certain 'haul out' for the otter to land on the shore, and thats exactly what happened. Having had the fore site, I was in position in plenty of time and with my 'Stealth Gear' on, I was all but invisible to an Otter.

Being low down, flat on the bladder wrack I was in a fantastic and rare opportunity to get 'full frame' eye level otter images. I even managed to very tentatively shuffle a couple of feet to the side so as I had a totally empty backdrop with the open mouthed otter in full gape, I have to say was rather pleased! By no means the best otter photo I have taken, but a hard to get composition.

Fantastic light, what a night!

2010-04-12T21:02:00.009+01:00

Re visited one of my favourite sites yesterday evening, a real wilderness. An endless stretch of remote and flat coastline where you are extremely unlikely to meet another soul, only otters! We arrived at the site with only a few hours of day light remaining, but the evening spring low sun light was truly fantastic. On our way out to the site, myself and good friend David Gifford, were treated to several Mountain hare, mid way between their winter and summer coats.

From some distance up on the hill side I spotted a family foraging in the ebe. The low evening sunlight was perfect as was the wind direction so we set off for the shore. Nearing the waters edge we still had good time to read the situation and suss out our most suitable location, most importantly a spot where we would not be seen by the family.

There was a clear choice for me of where the family would probably choose to haul out, (who were now moving towards us) , all three of their low profiled bodies on the beautiful mirror calm surface, each opening up the still water with their own wakes.

We stealthily moved into position, in good time too. My prediction was spot on, minutes later they were closing in, incredibly though, they had been joined by a fourth animal, a dog probably even their father. His head and especially muzle being much broader than that of the mothers. He swam along closely, interacting with out any distress from the mother before splitting off but by then, with the family moving in close and hauling out exactly where I thought they would, the adrenalin was pumping too fast to see where he went!

The mother left the cubs (which I reckoned to be about 5 or 6 months old) on the shore only a few meters from us and went out to forage, leaving the cubs to groom one and other and play on the rocks in the stunning evening sun light. After a while the cubs swam out to her then all returned to the same rocky outcrop then moved on along the shore- a perfect encounter!

By the time we finished up back at the car, only three hours later we had seen 8 animals, it is little wonder this is one of my top sites! David labeled the evening 'his best ever otter encounter!!'

Stealth Gear

2010-04-05T20:35:00.007+01:00

I was absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity to review the latest range from Stealth Gear (I will be writing a full review of this on our website at http://www.shetlandnature.net/ ). Not only was I excited about getting new out door clothing but also how good a development it was for 'Shetland Nature' to be provided with a brand of clothing as reputable as Stealth Gear http://www.stealth-gear.com/

With it being my first day out with the suit on, I was like a kid with a new football strip off for a kick about! The gear was far from disappointing and certainly lived up- managed to stalk myself into a fantastic encounter, down to about ten meters from a mother and cub. With my knee's and elbows and often behind, pressing into the salt water soaked seaweed, I would normally be sodden, but not a problem any more. This clothing has been designed by Wildlife photographers for Wildlife photographers- nothing has been overlooked! Anyway, as I say, I will be reviewing in full in the coming days on our site.

A grand day out

2010-03-31T19:37:00.001+01:00

Finally managed to arrange a day out with my mate and birding comrade, Jason Atkinson http://at2h.blogspot.com/ to photograph otters. For a few months now we we have been trying to fit in a day that I would take Jason to one of the sites I visit and at last we nailed it, and a splendid day it was too- Seven Otters in total and we only covered half the site. It is quite common to visit that site and see double figures in a day.
The seven animals (three seperate encounters)cosisited of a fine dog and three families, two mothers with single cubs and one with two.

15th March

2010-03-16T19:03:00.001Z

Had a close encounter with this dog otter today. Walking along the shore-line, a good distance along ahead of me, I picked him up swimming towards me, quite a distance off shore. The water was still and my attantion was quickly drawn to the bow waves of his wake. The tide was very low, leaving many reefs and rocky out crops exposed, one in particular is where I was almost certain he would be heading for. With this in mind i moved quickly as he dived under water (each time having about 15 seconds before he surfaced).

i managed to get myself tucked in and blend into the barnacle covered boulders, as usual, head to toe in camo clothing. I judged it well, each time he surfaced it was clear he was indeed coming straight for this rocky outcrop, one of his favourite haul ups. Many a' time I have watched him do exactly this, perhaps to doze off and curl up on the seaweed; taking a fish to shore to devour or maybe even just to spraint/sniff, read the signs and keep moving.

He stealthily approached, occasionally slipping underneath the blades of exposed kelp before emerging onto the rocks only 20 meters away. With the wind 'on shore' I was confident he would not pick up my scent, instead he went about his routine, sniffing the spraint points on the rocks, no doubt reading the many signs otters leave one and other using this method. He spainted and urinated on two seperat points then carried on his way in the direction he had been heading.

29th February

2010-02-28T22:33:00.000Z

Shame about the light!

2010-02-28T21:01:00.005Z

Visited a family I have not been to see for a couple of months now. On approaching their favoured stretch of coastline in the ,others range, I could hear the unmistakable and oh so familiar sound of the young dog cub's whistling squeak. There are few, if any sounds to be heard along the Shetland shores that kicks off my adrenalin levels like it! Most cubs, when awake and out of contact with their mother use this contact call, which can carry some distance, especially on a calm day. Even at well over a year old they use this call, which although adults are not often vocal becomes a much more subdued and quieter short yelp. The often whickering used confrontationally or even at play is more perhaps typical for adults

From a distance I scanned the shore and rocky outcrops and reefs exposed by the fallen tide. Sure enough, their he was, squeaking away, eagerly awaiting his mothers return- and no doubt hopefully with lunch!

By the time I got into position and had merged myself into the rocky shoreline, she had joined him. They groomed and played, typically of families do as if they had not seen one and other for weeks! After a few minutes she sneaked away to forage again, leaving him waiting, nervous as he watched for her return, not able to settle till she did.

She returned with a tiny sea scorpion, which he was not long in pollishing off. After more grooming and play they took to the watter, where they set to and played. Like many winter days, there was very little light and I was up to ISO 1600. But, the days are lengthening in a few months it will barely even get dark!!

A couple more images from Feb 24th

2010-02-27T20:49:00.001Z

When editing through my images from the day with that family in the snow, I couldn't help want to add a couple more images.

Watching young cubs of this age at such close range for so long truly is a wonderful experience. Having a baby son of our own, who is only four months old, perhaps makes me relate on a new level as to how special and intimate the bond is between mother and cubs.

Otters at any age are captivating creatures, but at this young age, cubs are simply adorable!

Otters in the snow!

2010-02-25T18:25:00.010Z

Like most naturalists or wildlife photographers who are passionate or infatuated (or some might say even obsessed) with a particular subject or species, you set your self continual goals and targets which I guess is why it never gets tedious. For me, getting decent images of otters in the snow or at least 'keepers' has been something of a struggle in recent years.

Whether it be down to other commitments, snow free shores along the main sites when every where else is white (a frequent occurrence along our wind and sea swept shores) or what ever else, sounding like 'fisherman's excuses now!'

I have enjoy regular truly magical encounters with otters in Shetland and have captured much of their secretive lives 'in the frame' but on the snow, no no! Often I have watched but just been too far away.

Any how, yesterday I nailed it, well got some keepers at least! Loosing two memory cards and a spare battery along with freezing and soaking much of my body as I lay amongst rock pools in the ebe for hours- (something you have to get used to if you want to photograph otters and not be seen) was a small price to pay as was the long journey to the site! After enjoying them in the snow I spent several hours following the family till both battery and memory card ran out, when I sneaked away while they fed off shore.

Last week

2010-02-25T17:30:00.005Z

Visited several sites last week, on one particular day I saw 14 animals, some of which involved family groups of course. In total I saw 26 individuals on several different locations. There is nothing quite like mid-winter for watching otters, the daylight hours are very few but the activity is there for condensed. For keen photographers light is nearly always an issue in winter in shetland but for me studying otters is one of the main things that make winter so special.

Sunday 7th February

2010-02-08T20:57:00.003Z

witnessed a bit of 'a stand off' today, brother and sister, at least 14 months old and well away from their childhood teritory, were met by a full grown dog, perhaps even their father. The dog seemed to be quite interested in her but not so much the brother. It was fascinating laying barely meters from them amongst the rocks watching them causiously aproching, sniffing and every now and again alot of confrontation. Eventually the dog got bored and caried on his way.

24th January

2010-01-26T12:50:00.002Z

New years day

2010-01-26T10:33:00.003Z

19th December

2010-01-26T10:29:00.002Z

Old timer

2009-12-01T19:56:00.000Z

A real heart warmer today, a long journey but worth the trip! Had an awesome encounter with one of the oldest otter I know, she is at least seven/ eight years old, which is a good old age for a Shetland otter although they can live for double and over that.

After a very long walk there, nearing a headland which i know to be one of her favourite haunts I could hear the anxious and oh so familiar squeaks of a cubs contact call. I had deliberately planned my approach for a favourable wind direction. At first I could hear the cub but not lay my eyes on it but soon realised it was well up on the grassy bank, well away from the boulders of the beach. I very slowly moved toward the peaty bank above the beach where from I knew would be able to make a secret approach, at times like these ( and every time is as exhilarating as my first ever encounter) you fail to realise your knees, elbows and often everything is soaked through, but you dont care!

Soon after I began to crawl on my belly bellow the bank I caught site of an adult swimming for thew shore, seemingly to answer the cubs calls, but to my surprise it was a dog. He headed straight up to the young cub but after a quick sniff surely realised the cub had nothing to offer and left as quickly as he'd arrived. Barely minutes later the seeks were answered, surely this would be mother... She left the water only but a few meters from where I lay, clad head to toe in cammo, even balla clav and gloves(nothing compares to this for close encounters)!

I was absolutely thrilled, I new her instantly as a very old girl indeed, a Granny, Great/Great Great Granny at least! Her scars on her nose are immediate recognisable even at distance.

It was one of my favourite encounters of the year and that's saying something! I even photographed the cub suckling. After watching for quite some time totally unaware that I lay only but a few meters away, they sprainted and set off inland up an old stream, I let them leave before slipping away unseen.

New arrivals of an old friend

2009-11-29T19:23:00.000Z

Took a friend out today to a site Iv not been at for many weeks. It was perfect timing, the light was good and the tide was falling. Scanning ahead at all the lie up's I know in that area I managed to pick out two small and dark bundles of fur laid out on the grass at a regular spot, to the un-trained eye these would barley have been thought to have been rocks let alone anything else. But there was no mistaking it, this was definitely young cubs, fast asleep while mother forages close by.

The wind direction and lay of the land was ideal, allowing us to begin our approach. But it was very clear that we would limit our distance, I can think of nothing worse than disturbing these adorable and wonderfully wild creatures.

Typically, after lying in wait for the cubs to waken the clouds built up and the light had slipped away, but wait we did. Whilst lying in full camo gear amongst the boulders and Bladder wrack seaweed I excitedly wondered who the mother would be, I was nearly sure I knew but I also knew of another in the area who should have cubs of a similar age by now (about four months old).

Eventually of course, after an hour or so the cubs slowly revived into an energetic bundle of bites and tumbles! And when mother appeared from the water, she was who I thought, moments like those it feels like you've just met a relatives baby for the first time, but if she knew we were there I wonder how she would see us?

Long time no see!

2009-11-29T18:00:00.004Z

It seems like weeks, even months since I had the chance to spend time in the ebe with my camera and my favourite friends, oh yes- that's because it has been!

All for very good reason though, my wife and I had our first baby only four weeks ago, a beautiful boy we named Casey, a very special time indeed.

As for the month or so before the birth it was as you can imagine a busy time. How wonderful it has been over the last week or so though to be back amongst Otters. I managed to squeeze in a few visits around the isles to some of my favourite sites. Any how, il keep it short and get some images up!

These were taken last week, this dog's presence was given away by the Hoody crows waiting patiently for any left overs from the Sea scorpion he soon devoured. I followed him for a short while, watching him haul up on the grassy bank to groom before he slipped away round a head land. He is fully grown at 3-4 years old. The shape and lay of the coastline could not allow for an unseen aproch so I just kept my distance.

Late July

2009-08-21T21:48:00.003+01:00

Late July

2009-08-21T21:43:00.002+01:00

July

2009-08-21T21:42:00.002+01:00

June

2009-08-21T21:27:00.005+01:00

Belated posting!

2009-05-29T12:04:00.002+01:00

Now well over a month since my last posting, shocking! Its not that I have not been out with the otters, in fact quite the opposite! Most of my visits at this time of year are with clients which I tend not to write about and rarely take my camera.

These pictures were taken of the young cubs on the off shore isle a few weeks back now, late one evening just before high tide soon after they had come ashore and were setling down for a snooze.

7th-15th April

2009-04-16T16:26:00.000+01:00

Its been a fantastic week, spent alot of time on several different sites around the isles. in total saw around 25-30 individuals (including four families), which is not too unusual when you know where to look.
The longer hours of daylight are a godsend and it is now possible to catch two tides in a day when the times are right, ideal for maximising your time when the otters are most active.

Some of the days I left the camera behind, just deciding to watch and admire the different families and individuals, something that is not allways possible when concentrating through a view finder. When you know otters well enough you realise and accept that photographic opertunities are allways there.

The sunny sequence of a family are of a mother with two 9 or 10 month old cubs, I spent nearly two hours under a camo net to get these pictures.

The images of one eating a fish are of a dear old friend of mine, she is five years old at least. I was absalutely thrilled to find her early on in April after not having seen her since her and her dog cub of last year parted company late last autumn, It really was heart warming to know she is well. Her catch is a large Lump sucker, the bright colours show that it is a male.

The other photo is of a dog, who is four-five years old.

24th March

2009-03-24T20:19:00.000Z

Came across this youngster today, dozing out of the lea of the wind.

21st March

2009-03-21T21:54:00.002Z

Went back to visit the young cubs today. Left the boat at opposite side of the isle so as to make a silent approach. From the top of the hill where I cross the isle I scan with my scope, the tide is ebbing, I just catch a glimpse of the mother as she slips into the water and heads out to feed. I watch for a few minutes till she is some distance away, diving on her favourite reefs.

I keep an eye on the wind and keep low and out of view from the cubs, who I hope will be in the usual place close to the shore. When I reach the old drystone wall of the old sheep pen, I pear through the gap as I have done so many times before and there they are, seemingly a little livelier than last time I think to myself as I watch them play on the bank.

They stay very close to a hollow on the grassy bank, the same hollow that many an otter has made a bed of before. I watch them for about a half an hour, playful but not yet as mischievous as they soon will be. The overcast day Id been thinking was not too bad soon turns into retched rain, the wind starts to rise as I think to myself its time for home.

Friday 13th March

2009-03-13T18:49:00.003Z

Friday the 13th- unlucky for some they say, I never was one for superstition though! Ignoring the date I set out by boat to one of my favourite sites, an off shore island. On my way there I couldn't help hoping that by now a female there which I have been watching may well have her cubs out and about by now.

One of the most precious and privileged of all wildlife watching experiences has to be watching an animal as wild and secretive as an otter with infant cubs, out exploring and possibly for the very first time.

These adorable cubs can only be two months old at most, and had very probably been taken by the mother from the natal den to a coastal holt this very day if not long before. It was low tide and I could see the mother off foraging amongst the exposed seaweed not too far along the shore while the cubs, waited on the shore where they would every so often disappear under a large boulder or overhanging earthy bank but never wadling further than a meter or two. From behind an old drystone walled Sheep pen I could watch them through a gap in the wall, totally out of site.

It was obvious by their size alone how young they were bu also how clumsy they were, not yet learned the grace which they will soon use to search these shores. I could see at least two but suspect there was another but could not see the other side bellow the bank and would not have dared moving or changing my approach for a better view. I learned a long time ago that this usually results in them detecting you, if you cant quite get the view or composition you would like then never worry, perhaps next time you will- patience not pesisitance I think is best.

22nd February

2009-03-11T20:07:00.003Z

Been a hectic couple of weeks, moved house amongst other things, hence the lack of up dates.

Although over the passed couple of weeks or so I have had a few "chance' otter encounters, frustratingly I have not been to visit any of my favourite families. However on my way to a family meal (running late too), I took a detour to have a quick scan of a familiar stretch of coastline, just for a cheeky ten minutes before the ferry left, I timed it just right!

Whilst I was pulling off the road into a lay by, I caught a glimpse of that oh so familiar bounding gate of an otter foraging around amongst a myre close to the shore. It was about 100 yds away but instantly struck me as being small, as I focused my bins I could see why, it was a cub.

I was parked close to the shore so thought if it came towards me, it should pass close to the van. I couldn't believe my luck, it made its way along the shore- heading straight for me. A very brief glance at my watch reminded me I had less than ten minutes! Thankfully, as always the camera was ready for action.

I began taking a sequence of pictures as it bounded toward my parked van, closer and closer.... The cub then came through the fence, continually sniffing the ground as it went, right bellow my drivers side window! It then ended up so close, that I stopped shooting as I knew it would hear the shutter go off, I watched in awe as it actually lifted its head up toward the open window, nearly going onto its hind legs before slipping underneath the van and where I sat, off out the other side!

One of those opportunistic and exhilarating encounters, the right place the right time! I did not have time to watch and see if the cub 'mothered up' but Id be pretty sure she was not too far away and that it was just on a little adventure of its own.

15th February

2009-02-15T19:40:00.002Z

Traveled a little further today to visit a mother with two cubs, it was certainly worth the effort! After having covered quite a bit of this very isolated coastline I was beginning to think that i must have missed the family i hoped to find here, along the way I had seen one otter, all be it briefly swimming around a distant headland, which i was fairly sure was not the mother I was looking for.here
With the weather fare and with one last little favourite haunt of hers still to check , I carried on. As I approached, fresh spraints around the 'lie up' on the bank could be barely an hour or so old, at most. Had I gone passed them or were they ahead of me I wondered, as I sprawled out onto the grass crawling forward to view the shore that I have watched them on so many times before.
I peer over the bank, laying tight into the base of an old pile of stones; the unmistakable site of otter bodies toiling together on the bladder wrack sea weed- Yes, they are here! The onshore wind takes my scent far away from them, I settle in with my camera and lens peeking through out of the dead grass. From here I am only about 20 meters away from them, countless times i have enjoyed encounters such as this with otters but every time my hear pounds like its the first!
I watch and photograph them for some time, romping around, the cubs continually harassing one and other and mother too. I am rather distressed to see that the mother, who has been in this range for at least two years now, has some fierce wounds, mainly on her rump which she must have sustained in a battle over territory. Thankfully she looks healthy otherwise as I watch her feed off shore with the cubs for a while before eventually after coming ashore again sprainting and then grooming, they settle in and drift off into a much needed snooze. I sneak away, as quietly as I approached.

6th February

2009-02-06T20:10:00.000Z

Went back to the new site today; literally within minutes of arriving I caught site of the mother with her two young cubs. There is a few hundred yards of tall peaty banks above the shore between me and the play full family, just on the waters edge on small pebbled beach. I slide down the bank so my silhouette no longer breaking the sky line to them, now with the bank behind me, with my camouflage I am pretty much invisible to the.
Extremely cautiously I move along the shore a short distance, before setting up my telescope to watch from a distance. Knowing the lay of the land here I know that after the bank slopes down to the flat of the beach, only a couple of hundred yards ahead, I would have no bank to hide bellow and she would be sure to detect the imposing human outline; I sit tight, able to view and enjoy the family, blissfully unaware of my presence.
I can see now that the mother has obviously taken them ashore a treat, a very large one; a lump sucker, which is almost a 3rd of the size of these young cubs. This is much larger than the prey a mother will usually bring back to shore for cubs, especially of this age, never the less it appears that it is being heartily enjoyed.
The larger of the two, I assume to be a dog, seems to be wearing the trousers here, as it seems to be doing all the eating, the other is more intent on playing with mother! After a while they take to the water, keeping very close together, the cubs almost continually calling as if they hate being in the water at all! I find it so endearing to watch their fluffy and very buoyant bodies on the waters surface. Iwatch them for a further half an hour as they follow mother in and out the water but I never see them dive, perhaps they are still learning.

February 5th

2009-02-05T20:16:00.004Z

Spent most of the day at one of my favourite sites today and saw the many of the usual otters I would expect to as well as one i had not seen for over a year, when I saw her for the first time, (almost on the exact same date). It could be that her normal range extends only to the furthest extremes of the range of coast there which i cover, which is where i saw her today, so i guess is most probably the case given the length and shape of coastline.

She was with a dog, not fully grown but probably over a year old. They seemed to be enjoying a good old tumble in the sea, which lasted a good few minutes before she seemed to have had enough and saw off his attentions, what ever they had been. He was unfamiliar to me also which led me to think that this was probably her own son from the previous year and all it had been was a brief reunion. If so he may travel many miles when he sets out to find a territory of his own.

I made a mental note to cover more of this coastline than I do.

It frustrates and excites me knowing that outside this particular stretch of coast here which I visit fairly regularly, there are other residents making up totally separate social structures. This is something that I and Im sure other otter lovers just have to accept as I know for me I would rather be familiar with more otters at fewer sites than the other way round.

On my way back, nearing dusk I see two otters up on the grassy bank in the distance, they look to be both adults engaged in some sort of a stand off. I crouch bellow the bank and set up my scope. One of them was back on so I couldn't make out any ID features, but the one that is facing me is a dog I recognise. They are a long way ahead of me but I can hear the 'yickering' chatters leading me to think its a bitch. He is crouched with his front end nearing the ground, almost submissively then he decides enough is enough and backs off. Rather disgruntled he climbs down off the bank and down into the watter and in the direction she was heading carries on her way in the opposite direction. Perhaps she is almost in season I wonder to my self as I head for home.

February 2nd

2009-02-02T19:20:00.000Z

Went out and about birding today and fairly unexpectedly came across a mother with three cubs, which i would say are about five or six months old. The mother is an otter that is far from any of my 'study' areas but do see from time to time, more often by chance than deliberation. I have not seen her since early last summer so was thrilled to see her alive and very well with three healthy cubs.
It was high tide when i saw her, just as she was no doubt returning from her essential hunting mission's. Unfortunately she was well beyond the reach of any of my lenses as I was watching her through my scope, which i was more than content to do, I know i will meet her again soon and hopefully get acquainted with her new family.

A new site

2009-01-25T20:55:00.001Z

Visited a new site today and as I expected, was far from disappointed! It's a stretch of coastline which I have always thought looked good, and had heard it was but never actually explored. No matter how many good sites you know and how many reliable families inhabit them, new sites are always handy.
Perfect habitat, to get to which I had to drive in a private dirt road. Fortunately it turns out the land owner knew exactly who I was, is a cousin of mine and was delighted to allow me vehicle access across his land.
As I reached the end of the dirt track road and cut the engine, i caught sight of the glistening rear end and tail of a feeding otter disappear bellow the surface, just a few metres off shore. When the otter surfaces just a few seconds later and I see that it is an adult female. She carries on feeding, each time she surfaces a little closer to the low headland about 30 yards along the shore. Waisting no time I sneak along the shore while she dives, leaving my camera behind.
I follow the shore heading out to the point, keeping below the bank and hide amongst some large boulders. Eventually she heads for the shore, straight towards where I am hiding. I sit electrified and totally motionless as she hauls out just metres in front of me, sprainting before beginning grooming. She carries on, slipping in and out of a rock pool before heading back off to feed, i wait till she is under and slip away myself.
Further along the shore I come across another, again a female but this time a mother with two cubs, I watch them enthralled till the darkness begins to close in and I am forced to head for home, buoyed by the success of my reccie, I know this will be the first of many visits here.

14th January

2009-01-14T20:26:00.001Z

The weather cleared up in afternoon today so I headed out to check on one of my furry friends. From where I park I can view her holt, not far from the waters edge. I'm nearly certain she has cubs in there, perhaps yet to see the light of day.
I watched her make three trips up over the bank and onto the old dead grass, each time hurriedly returning and disappearing into the holt with a mouth full of soft and dry dead grass for beading. After the third time when she re-appears she slips away behind and between boulders on the beach and slips away into the water, keeping a very low profile as she heads out to feed.
I watch her through my scope feeding further along the shore for another fifteen minutes before heading off.

New years day

2009-01-01T20:31:00.001Z

I can think of no better way to start a new year than spending what ever hours of the day weather permits along a beautiful remote coastline, a place that means more to me than any other I have ever visited. watching otters. For many years this has become something of a ritual, admittedly I have missed the odd year, perhaps after a little over indulgence in hogmanay celebrations.

Although there is rarely more than a week that will pass when I dont visit atleast one of my favourte otter sites, for me there is something very special about watching them on the first day of the year, with heart warming thoughts of the year which lies ahead and the encounters and experiences watching them will bring.

Today the weather could not have been better, clear skies and hardly a breath of wind. In total i saw five otters, all regulars; a mother and cub, a female and a dog passing through.

Welcome to my otter watching blog

2009-01-01T20:15:00.003Z

About this blog

For enthusiasts who have visited Shetland or perhaps intend to, I hope to share my passion for otters with this blog, providing an insight into the secret life of Shetland’s otter families that give me so much pleasure through out the year. The blog will be updated regularly (though bear in mind that in winter especially, a week or more may pass without suitable weather for observations).

Although I have grown extremely fond of many different individuals over the years and often felt as if relationship of mutual trust and respect has been built, I have always avoided the temptation to name the otters I study. My main and personal reason for this is that they truly are wild animals and naming them, harmless as it may be, some how humanises their existence.

2009-01-01T17:30:00.000Z

About otters in Shetland
Otter watching has long been one of the main attractions for nature-lovers coming to Shetland – perhaps not surprisingly, since the islands support over 12% of the entire UK population of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra, the highest density anywhere in Europe.

In Shetland, unlike many other parts of the UK, the otter’s behaviour tends to be governed by tide and daylight. They typically prefer to hunt either side of low tide, (especially as the flood tide comes in) and in daylight hours, when the nocturnal fish that make up the large majority of the diet are more easily caught. The otter will also eat crabs, other crustaceans, birds and, very occasionally, rabbits too.

Over a long period of study, it is possible to gain an intimate knowledge of inhabited territories, and even predict their movements, learning where and when they prefer to feed, the locations of holts and ‘lie ups’, where they sleep play and groom and the subtle signs which reveal their presence. What’s more, while to the untrained eye all otters will look alike, they are in fact always identifiable, either by subtle markings on the chin, throat and lips, or battle scars which they often bear on the nose!

My favourite sites
I visit many sites around Shetland, some of which are well-known territories on the mainland and larger islands, some which are on small, uninhabited islands, where the only other human presence is the occasional visit from a crofter tending his sheep.

Throughout the islands, visitors and locals alike occasionally enjoy views of otters in or around areas with much human activity, the inter-island ferry terminals being a prime example of places where a lucky sighting is always possible. However, these encounters are a mere substitute for the much more personal and intimate encounters you can experience in an undisturbed territory along a beautiful, remote Shetland coastline.

To avoid potential disturbance to the sites I visit I will avoid disclosing the locations of sites I visit.

Otters are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and are extremely sensitive to disturbance. I operate under a licence authorised by Scottish Natural Heritage.