Hi all from Emily
It's been a fantastic weekend at Saltholme, with everyone really enjoying our Spring Watch events. But what of the elusive otter? Here's Mary with the latest. . .
Overnight something had eaten the sardine bait we had laid for our otter. But what? Everyone in the office crowded round as we downloaded the pictures that the hidden camera has taken in the previous 24 hours. Sadly, the culprit wasn't an otter but a moor hen and her three fluffy chicks. There were some great shots of them pulling the sardines out from under the stone, where we had hidden them. But I couldn't help feeling a little despondent. Were we ever going to see the Saltholme otter?
My mood was improved a little when Toby from the RSPB said that moor hens were very shy, and it was fabulous to be able to watch how they interacted. And the camera had caught a mallard duck and her chicks on film too.
Our plan now is to leave the camera in place, but check it a little less frequently because our scent maybe discouraging the otter. We'll probably download the shots once a week for the next couple of months.
I've had e-mails from people saying they have recently spotted otters elsewhere - Mickley, just north of Ripon; on the River Eden between Culgaith and Temple Sowerby; on the River Tees at Croft; and on the River Skerne near the bridge at Blackwell in Darlington. So there are otters out there. Sooner or later ours will show his face. In the meantime, for a glimpse of the moor hen family happily demolishing our otter food, go to bbc.co.uk/tees