Catching up on recent otter encounters, a sequence from recent trip where we spent a couple of hours with this family. Although it was a howling gale, up to force nine at times, these two cubs, guided by their mother, carried on with their day none the less. It was a strange day to be out with otters with the battering wind and yet it was a beautiful blue sky day.

Much of the time we were with them the mother was away foraging but before she had left the cubs on the shore, we had taken our time to move into a good position before they returned to shore. We were in this particular encounter for an hour, the two cubs, playing, grooming and of course sleeping, unaware of us hiding in the shadows of the bank.  

With an onshore wind and early morning sunrise from over your shoulder, the light was beautiful on the cubs, almost at times too golden on their drying gingery brown fur. This time of morning and wind direction is perfect not only as the low angle shines wonderfully on them but also offers a great deal of cover in the shadows of the bank, making it even less likely for an otter to see you.

Otters in early morning Shetland spring light

A couple of images of an early morning encounter we had a couple of weeks back guiding for Tony Davison. I'm out leading an itinerary again this week too so not much time at desk in evening to catch up.
This was one of three families we spent time with that day. A mum and three cubs along a stretch of shore I don't tend to visit very often, the shoreline is not conducive to good angles for photography and there is very little in the way of a bank to hide against/under.

On there way back to a lie up among boulders, mum and two of her three cubs 

A very busy and otter filled winter- catching up

I hardly know where to start- its probably been my most frustrating but yet busiest and exciting winters to date. Iv'e been 100% committed to a very big project so my time out with my own camera, or anything else,  has been, well lets say zilcho! Its been good and steady with otter trips too, I've been leading in each month of the winter so have been out with otters most weeks and we have enjoyed fantastic encounters on all of them. Some have been photography and some for the full Shetland otter experience. Its been awesome for all guests on these as its one of the most successful breeding seasons for otters for several years at the sites I use at least.

But any way, its been a very busy winter, which is brilliant but man how I have missed getting out with my own camera.

One of my recent Shetland otter photography itineraries was for Tony Davison, who Iv'e known for many years from his birding trips to the isles in autumn, who has been planning to book me for years. We had a great week and because we know each other so well, Tony insisted I brought my own gear- something I don't do when guiding as I have a job to do and its not to take my own images- unless of course asked to- it would be rude to refuse! Here are a few images from that week.

We use the shore for cover to get into position where I know this mother and her dog cub will land on the shore for a grooming session, we are bang on time and in perfect position, low down in the shade of the bank. 

They move up the beach and as anticipated enjoy a grooming session together. 

A cutesie one, while the dog cub rolls on his back their paws meet as they reach out.


So this was one of the encounters, I will try to follow up soon with another from the same week. As usual you can find out about the otter tours at http://www.shetlandnature.net/otters/

Otters in Shetland- a mother with her three young cubs, late October

It often takes far me too long to sort through images after an exciting session with Otters and this is certainly one of those occasions. This was the day I spent with Italian photographer Mauro Mozzarelli who I was leading a one-to-one photography assignment with, specifically to work on young-cub families like these guys. Grey seal pups were also worked on. Late autumn- a mega time to visit Shetland.

  We had already had some fantastic otter photography and worked on several families and this was the third three-cub family I had taken him to. It was a superb morning despite the weather! Very over cast with drizzle or rain almost constant.

Mauro is one of those marvellous guests who quickly become good friends and as with any other assignment I take him on- he insists I also shoot my own images- something I don't do as a rule with guests working on Otters. So this mum and three were certainly a lot of fun for the four hours we spent with them. For over two hours they were taking it in turns to eat away at an enormous Lumsucker- possibly the biggest Ive ever seen an otter with, at least a third of the size of the mum.
She had already caught it when we picked them up on the shore- she must have had some strain landing it- it appeared similar size to cubs!

They'd chew away, often two or three of family at the time but then of course the cubs would set to for a good old play fight and ruff'n tumble- something I could watch forever. They are so boisterous and mischievous, not to mention utterly adorable! They have such energy.
It was actually time pressing for Mauro's departure that finally saw us actually leaving. They seemed so content to work around the vicinity of the comfort and safety of their holt and the massive meal of the Lumpsucker on the shore- which barely looked even half done when we sneaked away.

Like all the other families I am working on at the moment, I really hope for a settled winter so that the good breeding season otters appear to have had, pays off. More with these guys very soon.....

Introducing Doug Allan to Shetlands otters

What a privilege to take out one of the worlds best known and experienced wildlife cameramen to search for Shetlands otters. On top of a career spanning over 30 years making wildlife films and documentaries for the BBC (and many others) it is easy to see why Doug has had such a prolific and successful career as he is such a genuine, committed and considerate fellow who is a joy to spend time with.

Although time and tide was perhaps not in our favor we did well on our day out and spent time with one of the many families I study.

"Not the most promising of days when Brydon picked me up in Lerwick, the mist hanging on the hills, white horses on the water. But the man’s utterly enthusiastic, his passion for Shetland wildlife shines through.

 

As he we explored stretches of shoreline where he knew the otter territories, Brydon patiently explained about heeding the wind direction, staying off the skyline, talking softly, how to look for the tell tale signs of the otter signs and holts. Iv'e worked with many guides while filming, and I could see he had real sensitivity and all the patience. The afternoon slipped by effortlessly.

We spent 30 minutes watching a female with her two cubs full frame binocular view, diving, catching fish and taking them ashore to eat and playing on the shore. Simply magic.

You know the great thing about Brydon? No matter what happens, you know you’re going to have a good day when you’re with him".  

Doug Allan

Shetland Otter families on a beautiful late autumn day

 

 



A superb encounter today, well actually several. So nice spending time in the great company of Mauro, who more than a client has now become a good friend as is so often the case when spending such special time with such captivating wild animals. The fact that Mauro insists I also take pictures- something I don't do when working on such itineraries, has made it all the more enjoyable. We spent time with three different families today at one site- its the busiest I've seen this site in years.





 



This particular site is pretty much as good as you can get for photographing otters; long relatively straight shoreline, fairly flat and open terrain with a good sized bank to hide in the shadow of with lovely 'gravelly' stretches of beach where the composition is nice and clean and very few if any boulders that often they can be behind and out of view.

All these images except the last one of two cubs together, are of the same mum and two cubs, which we spent several hours with, often within just a few metres and can sometimes be the case, with them too close to photograph. At one point the trotted up the beach, passing us by about five meters away when all we could do was hide our faces, keep completely still until they continued on along the shore after habitual spraining on a favoured rock high up the beach.

At one point during the encounter the mother landed an eel pout which you can see the dog cub holding in his jaws. Rather typically he spent several minutes 'toying' with the live catch in the shallows after receiving it from mum. This is quite typical behaviour of cubs of this age, playing with prey no doubt helps them hone their hunting skills and seems to be something they really enjoy. Often they will toss it into the air and then dive back onto it as it tries to sprickle away to escape.

We continued along the shore where we spent time with two more families, both mums with two cubs but with the way the wind had slightly altered and also the angle of the coast also changes, wind was not suitable for an approach so we just simply enjoyed an hour of observations and while doing so we had a Rough-legged Buzzard (one that's been around for a couple of weeks) drift over- all in all the perfect day!

A session with mum and three older cubs

 

The first morning of this weeks one-to-one photography assignment, with returning guest from Italy Mauro Muzzareli- who I have now come to know so well he insists I shoot my own images too- Im hardly going to refuse now am I?!! What a way to start his week itinerary, I took him to look for this mother and three fairly well grown cubs and we found them as soon as we arrived, I picked them up foraging offshore together before we had even gotten out of the car. We spent over three hours with them before leaving them foraging further out of the voe. This is one of the older of several three-cub families that I am working on just now- i'm not sure if I've ever seen such breeding success at so many sites- its awesome! 

Mum and three cubs; a typical composition of how a family of otters thrive on the intimate bond.

 The dog cub of this family of three landing his own octopus.



One of the female cubs eating a sea scorpion she caught herself, all paws and jaws as she enjoys her catch.