The Fall and Rise of the Eurasian Otter

When I was growing up in the 1970′s and 80′s, the Eurasian otter was scarce. Decades of pollution in the rivers of the UK and much of Europe as a whole was having a serious detrimental effect on otter survival. Being an apex predator, any pollutants were concentrated, causing organ damage, ultimately leading to premature death. Even less severe cases of pollution were probably enough to reduce the fertility of otters, which for a species that perhaps lived 3-6 years in the wild and reproduced every 18 months or so, was a serious concern. In the early 1980′s, the situation had become so bad, that the otter had disappeared from many countries in central and southern Europe and much of England and Wales too. There was a real danger that the Eurasian otter would become extinct in most of Europe. Only in Scotland, where there were populations of coastal otters and Northern Europe, were they still widespread. The only other areas in the UK, where there were still healthy (albeit small) populations, were Southwest England (mainly Devon and Cornwall) and parts of Wales and inland Scotland, particularly higher ground, where the effects of pollution were lessened.

It was during this time, that I had an ambition, or perhaps given the situation, it was more like a dream. I wanted to see an otter in the wild. Of course, not only was the otter population plummeting, but they are also largely nocturnal in most habitats, which made the chances of seeing one, pretty remote.

Fast forward to 2008 and the otter population was much more healthy, at least in the UK. Many areas had been repopulated from the west and they were slowly spreading east. I visited Scotland and was finally able to fulfill my dream of 30 years earlier. I caught sight of my first wild otter, running along one of the supports of North Kessock bridge, near Inverness, before it dived into the surf. It was around 6.30 am and bitterly cold, with frequent snow flurries, but it was worth it. My ambition was achieved, but I wanted more. I then spent hundreds of hours in the summer, observing otters in the daylight, much closer to home at Shapwick Heath. Unlike most populations, the otters on the Somerset Levels show themselves at all times of the day. It is probably in part due to the local diet, where freshwater mussels make up a large part of what they eat. One of the reasons that otters are nocturnal, is because their favoured prey items are less active then, so they can expend less energy catching them.

Over the past ten years in particular, but really since the 1990′s, the otter population has become stable and even increased slowly. However, the past has shown how precarious that recovery may be. Pollution, while lessened, still occurs and a recent incident involving paint thinner almost certainly had some effect in parts of the Somerset Levels. There is also a new threat, this time from a fluke carried by oriental fish that have escaped into the Somerset river systems and have since spread further afield. This bile fluke (Pseudamphistomum truncatum) can contribute to death and certainly debilitates infected otters. Generally, parasites are adapted not to cause serious harm to their host, it’s in their interest for the host to survive. However, the otter isn’t the natural host and as is commonly the case with accidental hosts, it causes serious harm to the otter’s internal organs.

Human activity also remains a threat to the survival of the Eurasian otter as a species. Whille pollution is lessened, in the period when the otter all but disappeared, many fish farms have sprung up. This has now become a source of potential conflict, with calls from some quarters for an otter cull. This call, has largely come about due to ignorance. Many seem to think that otters have deliberately been reintroduced by scientists and conservationist on a large scale, which simply isn’t the case. Even some individual anglers have joined the call for a cull, with some heated debates on internet forums. The fact is, the greatest cause of depleted fish stocks in rivers is human activity. If a river is able to support otters, then it is a good sign that there is some sort of balance. Otters simply are not present in high enough densities to cause depletions in fish stocks and numbers would soon decrease, if there were insufficient prey items (i.e. fish and crustaceans) to support them. Only in fish farms, where they are allowed access, are they likely to cause a problem and that problem is one that is easily overcome. Fish farms are big business and many of the fish are prized oriental carp, worth thousands of pounds, so an otter let loose in a fish farm will cause alot of damage. However, it is the responsibility of any business to protect their assets. In the case of fish farming, it is very easy to keep otters out, by using fences. Otters won’t try to force their way through an electric fence, as it would cause them discomfort. Like many predators, they will go for the easiest prey, if the fish farm isn’t otter-proof, then it will be the fish farm, but if it has adequate protection, then the otter will go elsewhere, where they won’t get a jot of electricity. Also, to put things in a bit more perspective, there are an estimated 3500-4000 otters in England and Wales, with a further 4000-4500 in Scotland (many of which are around the coasts). Their diet consists of around 90% fish and crustaceans. In comparison, the American mink has a diet of around 40% fish and crustaceans, with the rest being birds and small mammals. The mink is much smaller than the otter, so will eat less, but population estimates for the mink are around 35000 to 40000, perhaps five times as many as otters. It is therefore likely that mink account for more fish predation in total than otters, not to mention the other problems they cause to native breeding birds and small mammals, such as the water vole, which has seen an 80% drop in numbers in the period that the American mink has been at large in the British countryside.

I now have several photographs of otters, but none that I am really happy with. Otters have provided me with hours of pleasure and I hope they will continue to do so for many years to come. While the otter is a protected species, it still faces numerous threats, mostly either directly (through pollution and altered habitat) or indirectly (through realease of non-native species, such as oriental fish) caused by human activity. If the otter and the whole of the habitat each one inhabits is to survive, we have a responsibility to protect our environment. We must preserve the otter for future generations to enjoy.

Two Images Licensed in the Last Week

It's been a successful week or so for me lately. Last week, I managed to licence one of my Bridgwater Carnival images, then yesterday, I licensed one of my kingfisher images. Purely by coincidence, I bought this month's BBC Wildlife Magazine and when I found the licence details, I thought there was a good chance, that it was part of Simon King's article on the Somerset Levels and lo and behold, there it was on page 86. Quite small and cut out and flipped, but it's always nice to get something in a well known magazine.

Autumn and Photography

Photography can be a productive time for the nature photographer. Not only do you have the autumn colours to add a dimension to landscapes, but you also have the closeup abstract of autumn colours, not to mention all the fungi that spring up, telling the story of death and rebirth. They are nature's way of recycling the old, ready for the new in Spring. Of course, they come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny Mycena spp. to the larger polypore fungi seen on tree trunks and at their bases. Many are simply white, brown or grey, but others add their own colour to autumn, with bright reds, pinks and purples, with a few yellows and even blues and greens. The weather may not always be at its best, with many dull grey days, but even these help to enhance the colours. Even on the dullest of days, it should be easy to find something in nature to photograph.

Back from Scotland

It's been over a week since I got back now, but it's taken some time to process the photos. I recently spent a week in Scotland, on my annual fix of the highlands. I was quite surprised to find that I took over 1500 images. Of course, many of those were duplicates (or near duplicates) and some were "misses", due to photographing fast moving subjects, where timing was involved (such as gannets plunge diving and slamon leaping). The results were very much hit and miss, and with the salmon shots there was a lot of guesswork involved in pre-focussing, unfortunately, my guesswork wasn't working well, with most being out of focus.

On a more positive note, I was able to execute some ideas I'd had for some time, with some selective focus shots of a toadlet and some common lizards. Also, I saw my first newt and white tailed eagle. There was one shot in particular that just came together and is another of my milestone images, mainly because I was able to execute a pre-conceived idea. The image was of a toadlet of the common toad, using selective focus head-on and it has become my first limited edition print, priced at £34.99 for an A3 print.

Quiet Blog and Trip to Spain

Things have been a little quiet on the blog recently and for that I have to apologise to anyone following. I've been having problems with the autofocus on the 7D, largely it seems, due to changes being needed to the microadjustment. Over the past few weeks, I have made some adjustments in the field and it now seems to be improved. I first noticed it when trying to photograph hobbies, not the easiest of subjects at the best of times. Because the expected "hit rate" for the AF is going to be quite low for such a fast bird, it was a while longer than it should have been before I realised there was a problem. Anyone else with similar AF problems should have a look at the microadjustment if possible and make some tests and adjustments.
I also purchased a 5D MkII, as I was finding that the requirement to keep to f/11 or wider on the 7D was limiting my landscape work too much, even with hyperfocal focusing. I'm happy with the improved dynamic range over the 7D and am finding it useful for macro work too.
In July, I visited my aunty and uncle in Spain. Landscape work wasn't ideal, because we were always out in the harshest light, apart from one day where it was partially overcast, but there were some interesting insect macros, such as an Egyptian locust, a Spanish swallowtail butterfly and a geranium bronze butterfly. It was also an interesting visit to Santa Jose Castle (Castell d'Alcozaiba).

Photographs in Horner Woods

On Sunday, I made a trip to Horner Woods on Exmoor. My target was to photograph dippers and grey wagtails, although I wasn't expecting much, as I thought there would be too many people about. I was also planning to look for signs of otters on the higher reaches of Horner Water.
As it turned out, it didn't go too badly. I don't often photograph still life, particularly flowers, as I don't feel it is a strong point of mine, but I have been thinking more about photographing wildflowers recently. I was able to experiment a bit while I was there on some forget-me-nots and dog violets (the dog violets didn't quite works), as well as some ferns (I went a bit too far with the selective focus). I also struck lucky as well though and spent about half an hour or more observing and photographing a pair of grey wagtails. It was a little dark to be able to keep the shutter speed high enough, even at a high ISO (I wouldn't want to go higher with the 7D, as it is on its usable limit), but I was able to get some atmospheric photos when they were in the filtered sunlight.


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All About Somerset

The United Kingdom, often called interchangeably (although often incorrectly), as Britain or the British Isle, is divided into counties. The rural counties are sometimes referred to as "the Shires". One of the rural counties in the southwestern peninsula of England is Somerset. Traditionally, it stretches from Bath in the northeast, to Yeovil and Sherborne (among other towns) in the south and Exmoor in the northwest, although there have been some boundary changes over recent decades.
In terms of geography, it is probably one of the counties with the greatest variety. The Somerset Levels are in the heart of Somerset and encompass a large part of the county, as they stretch from the Quantock Hills in the west, through the catchment area of the Rivers Tone and Parrett and the Brue Valley, to the Mendip Hills in the east. It is an area of many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and nature reserves, run by the Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Natural England, with nationally important populations of many species, including the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) and hairy dragonfly (Brachyton pratense). Parts of the Somerset Levels are just 50 metres above sea level, particularly the Avalon Marshes area in the Brue Valley, so are prone to winter flooding, although modern pumping and drainage systems have limited the extent. This has however, had an impact on the wildlife, leading to many reserves trying to recreate and manage these nationally important wetland areas, one of the largest areas of wetland in the country.
At the other extreme, the county has three upland areas, some of the highest in Southern England. To the east, you have the chalk downs of the Mendips and the Polden Hills, which are important for many of the rare blue butterflies and orchids. In fact, following the reintroduction of the large blue butterfly (Maculinea arion) in the area, the lower reaches of the Polden Hills, which jut out into the Levels near Glastonbury and Street, now contain one of the most important populations.
To the far west of the county, straddling the border with Devon is Exmoor, the second highest and largest moorland area in the south west, behind Dartmoor. Exmoor, is relatively wild (although not as wild as Dartmoor). It is a granite outcrop, covered by open moorland and heathland, forming a typical upland heath, with gorse and heather predominating, in between ancient natural woodlands on the lower slopes. It also boasts some of the highest cliffs in Britain, with the northern edge dropping into the sea to form steep cliffs favoured by peregrines. Otters also frequent the rivers of Exmoor, probably in greater numbers than on the Levels, despite the lower prey density. Slightly to the east are the relatively unknown Quantock Hills. The Quantocks are very similar in terrain and wildlife to Exmoor and are in fact like a miniature version. However, they do contain more extensive woodland, with Great Wood at its centre. However, unlike Exmoor, the steep cliffs are absent, with a more gradual descent to the Bristol Channel, before lower cliffs dropping onto the ancient rocks of the beaches around Kilve and Quantoxhead.
Further along the coast to the north east, the beaches change to the sand and mud along the Severn Estuary, forming the beaches of Burnham-on-Sea and Weston Super Mare, before going on to Clevedon.
There are a few famous landmarks and tourist sites in Somerset. The largest is of course Exmoor, but in the Mendips, there is also the Cheddar Gorge, with its many caves, such as Wookey Hole. Glastonbury is also famous, due to the music festival (actually held at Pilton) and from the legends of King Arthur. Glastonbury Tor is probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in the county and the surrounding town attracts many mystics and pagans amongst the more usual tourist.
While many know of Somerset, relatively few have actually visited, simply using it as a thoroughfare on the way to the more popular Devon and Cornwall. It is a place of contrasts, upland and lowland, natural and manmade, but it maintains its rural roots and has kept some of its ancient traditions and ideals, with a low population density, probably among the lowest in England.