Otters

[frankel 2,123]

Basically a bit gutted this morning, I was taking my son out for the morning and coming along the local pond on the main road, 2 otters had been knocked over. It was only 6 days ago there was another otter been knocked over. So 3 otters in a week.

I was wondering if the floods up here had affected there home or they were crossing for a reason. I don't know.

They are always a great sight in the summer to watch and listen too. I do think there is a couple more on the ponds but not 100%...

Gutted really for such a great animal.

[frankel 2,123]

Shame that and the floods could as you say have had an influence?

I've got a feeling they might have, the pond is higher than normal. I don't no if it's ruined there home or the food source. Just guessing really.

They usually go the opposite way which take them to the river. That's like nearly a mile the opposite direction.

[ArchieHood 3,692]

Not so long ago it was seen as a treat to get a glimpse of an otter in its natural surroundings, it won't be long before they replace the badger on the side of British roads.Blame the ones who think they know best.Anyone for a Lynx?

[CushtyJook 1,097]

Never seen one but heard they are becoming more abundant on the river Avon was never many mink on thier either judging by the amount of times i walked it with mink hounds I heard otters will kill mink and the mink are much better suited to the smaller streams and ditches if otters about

[frankel 2,123]

Not so long ago it was seen as a treat to get a glimpse of an otter in its natural surroundings, it won't be long before they replace the badger on the side of British roads.Blame the ones who think they know best.Anyone for a Lynx?

still is a treat to see them on the pond I hope there is some still there. And no Lynx for me can't see why they would ever go for a running deer when there is sheep for an easier meal.

[3175darren 1,100]

It's not a treat to the guy who paid to stock the pond, I agree good to watch but murderous little sod's, very effective hunters, and will need there numbers controlling in five or ten year, I lost two free range hens last yr to one,

[frankel 2,123]

It's not a treat to the guy who paid to stock the pond, I agree good to watch but murderous little sod's, very effective hunters, and will need there numbers controlling in five or ten year, I lost two free range hens last yr to one,

no one stocks it, just a nature reserve a think would call it. Loads of people come to birdwatch n all that. 2 big ponds which they use.

[EDDIE B 3,166]

Never seen one but heard they are becoming more abundant on the river Avon was never many mink on thier either judging by the amount of times i walked it with mink hounds I heard otters will kill mink and the mink are much better suited to the smaller streams and ditches if otters about

Otters are fairly plentiful here in Ireland! See a couple every year! True they'd kill a mink if they caught one, but that don't happen to often! Otter on most my locations, and i catch my fair share a Mink each year!

 

Think the saying, "you won't have mink where Otter are present, is a bit of a myth! Thrown out there by the same crowd who say Pine Marten only kill Grey squirrel, and not Red!

[neil cooney 10,416]

Eddie, I know Mink are your specialty so maybe I'm not qualified to argue, but I do think that the Otter does have an impact on the Mink population in SOME areas.

I live in an area with one of the highest populations of Otters in Ireland, and they aint rare in Ireland, never were. I love tracking them.

The Otter is every bit the opportunist that the Mink is and when fishing is hard the Otter wont starve. Wildfowl, domestic poultry and rabbits are all fair game.

I know all the tiny streams that the Otters head up when the floods come and some of these streams are tiny and IMO the Otter either keeps the Mink away or predates on them.

IMO the only time the Otter suffers in hard weather is during the Spring when the cubs will drown in their holts.

[J Darcy 5,871]

I would say that the floods won't really effect otters, in general, that much. They often come off the main rivers in winter anyway and certainly do so when the water is coloured. But this is all normal for them anyway as they are incredible travellers. The males especially so. Typically an otter will work on a 12-21 day cycle, returning to the food source and to mark their territory. There's loads of otters about, and today the motor car is their only 'predator'.

[keepdiggin 9,561]

do foxes prey on otters?

[J Darcy 5,871]

do foxes prey on otters?

I don't think there'd be many foxes that would tackle an adult otter matey.

 

And I'd hazard a guess that the bitch would be one hell of a whirlwind at protecting her cubs...

[MIK 4,756]

I would say that the floods won't really effect otters, in general, that much. They often come off the main rivers in winter anyway and certainly do so when the water is coloured. But this is all normal for them anyway as they are incredible travellers. The males especially so. Typically an otter will work on a 12-21 day cycle, returning to the food source and to mark their territory. There's loads of otters about, and today the motor car is their only 'predator'.

I would disagree regarding otters and flooding ....our rivers flood more and more these days due to drainage on the grouse moores when I was young the river would rise in a few days then peak and drop back in a few days now it's up and down in 24 hours we will have about 2-3 big waters every year now and we find signs of them away from the river when this happens .....last week we had the huge floods and I picked up a dog otter of the road at 2 am in the middle of a village about 2 miles from the river ...I would imagine he would of been holed up and was washed out and become disorientated ...a real shame an animal like this killed by a car

[keepdiggin 9,561]

 

do foxes prey on otters?

I don't think there'd be many foxes that would tackle an adult otter matey.

 

And I'd hazard a guess that the bitch would be one hell of a whirlwind at protecting her cubs...

 

cheers pal

[J Darcy 5,871]

 

I would say that the floods won't really effect otters, in general, that much. They often come off the main rivers in winter anyway and certainly do so when the water is coloured. But this is all normal for them anyway as they are incredible travellers. The males especially so. Typically an otter will work on a 12-21 day cycle, returning to the food source and to mark their territory. There's loads of otters about, and today the motor car is their only 'predator'.

I would disagree regarding otters and flooding ....our rivers flood more and more these days due to drainage on the grouse moores when I was young the river would rise in a few days then peak and drop back in a few days now it's up and down in 24 hours we will have about 2-3 big waters every year now and we find signs of them away from the river when this happens .....last week we had the huge floods and I picked up a dog otter of the road at 2 am in the middle of a village about 2 miles from the river ...I would imagine he would of been holed up and was washed out and become disorientated ...a real shame an animal like this killed by a car

 

But otters travel a long way from water on a regular basis MIK, so maybe it was going about it's routine when it got hit by a car.? The otter can, and does, wander miles away from a river, flood or no flood. I have seen a few RTA otters a mile or more from a river and I know of one carp fishery hit by an otter that is about 2 miles from a river and surrounded on two sides by houses. Could this not be the case do you think?