Wow that’s amazing @wild edges I would love to see an otter in the wild.
For a number of years I was a volunteer Otter Spotter for Devon Wildlife Trust, I had an allocated stretch of river and had to do a survey 4 times a year looking for signs of the presence of otters. I always saw signs, either spraint or tracks, but never an otter. What a fantastic animal to see, lucky you 😁
We’ve seen them three times on the river in Sidmouth. We’ve found the best way to see wildlife, otters, seals in the sea, mice outside the back door, is to take our daughter with us! Maybe her young eyesight is just so much better than us, but she always manages to spot something interesting!
Not a very good photo as it was taken out of my kitchen window but what a lovely sight to see ... at least 12 Long Tailed Tits. They never stay still long enough for me to get a good photo but always a joy to see.
For those of you wondering if little hoggies will be ok, here is one well able to take care of itself, out digging around my garden on a slightly foggy dark damp afternoon. It's about half the size of an adult, say the size of an orange. It knew just where to dig for bugs, had a look at the food in the hog feeder and said no thankyou and dug around in the grass. Then made its way into next-doors garden.
Not a very good photo as it was taken out of my kitchen window but what a lovely sight to see ... at least 12 Long Tailed Tits. They never stay still long enough for me to get a good photo but always a joy to see.
We get a huge bunch of them passing through at this time of year. They smother the peanut feeder, and look wonderful. And then they are gone for another year. I like the knowledge that we are a known pit stop on their way to wherever they are going.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
Looks more like an immature Cormorant to me. The forehead doesn't look right for Shag.
That's what fooled me but it's been backed up by some people who seem to know their stuff. The RSPB profile shows a similar juvenile too https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/shag Apparently there are over twice as many Shags as Cormorants in this country and at sea the proportion is higher again. I'd always assumed it was the other way around.
Had a Shag in a park today
Rubbish photo cos' I only had my phone. Note the flattish head with steep sloping forehead. This was right near the Uni in Sheffield. Can't get much further from the sea!
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
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It's about half the size of an adult, say the size of an orange. It knew just where to dig for bugs, had a look at the food in the hog feeder and said no thankyou and dug around in the grass. Then made its way into next-doors garden.
Had a Shag in a park today
Rubbish photo cos' I only had my phone. Note the flattish head with steep sloping forehead. This was right near the Uni in Sheffield. Can't get much further from the sea!
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful