Autumn 2002 No. 14

Page 8

There were intermittent mewings and callings, an occasional small ‘bark’ and the occasional obvious excited snufflings and snortings, which I construed to mean that they had found what they were looking for and were momentarily giving chase. Next there would be another sighting as one or the other appeared in the pool before me, giving me sight of a back and tail rolling as they dove again. My best view was late in the ‘watch’ when one showed and lay stretched out in the water, close to the reeds and stayed still for several seconds and I am sure it was watching me. It did not appear to be bothered by my presence however and just flicked back into the reeds to carry on. Finally, as all good things must come to an end, the sky slowly darkened, the otter snufflings subsided and I was compelled to make my way back to the car.

Martin Brickell

The following letter from Ann Salway, who has been monitoring otters for perhaps longer than anyone else in the Group, makes it clear just how lucky Martin Brickell was with his sighting…

I popped into Sturminster Mill one afternoon hoping to find the Mill manager. I had had a second hand report that he had seen an otter in May. He had seen it on the edge of the river outside the large door of the mill on the same stones on which I had previously found otter spraint. This day the was mill closed – so I did my usual quarterly walk and hunt for signs.

As I crossed the weir I saw a large number of dead fish in the water upstream from the mill – we counted a hundred. It was the first week of the fishing season so I talked to some young fisherman, fishing downstream and asked if anyone had reported the dead fish. They thought so. As I left one of them said ‘By the way, last night I saw an otter sitting on those stones over there’. These were the same ones on which the Mill manager had seen the otter.

I have monitored otters for five years now. I have never seen one on my patch although I have retrieved a dead one. I have had reports from five different people who have seen one or more during the five years. I spent the next few nightfalls at the Mill but no such luck. However it is quite gratifying to find that the places people have seen them are where I have previously found signs.

I reported the dead fish problem to the Environment Agency (Exeter). They told me they had had lots of reports and someone was investigating the problem. I did not hear the outcome but the incident must have been a very local one. During the same day I had surveyed the Colber bridge half a mile upstream and Fiddleford Mill a mile downstream and found no dead fish. The water in the River Stour was high after summer rain. Each time I monitor for otters I never see a live one but quite often find something quite unexpected.

Ann Salway

The Sweet Smell Of Spraint

‘a distinctive, musky/fishy odour, often described as smelling like newly mown hay or jasmine tea’

Otters and River Habitat Management Handbook

‘smells like a mix between violets and bloater paste’

David Bellamy

‘agreeably scented like snuff’

Captain Cameron

Any more suggestions?

Contributions for the next Newsletter to:
Peter Irvine
34, Bryanston Street,
Blandford,
Dorset
DT11 7AZ