Nearly a Plastic Bag

A bit of a mix between a smart Cattle Egret and a plastic bag, this bird is often hanging out in the industrial centre in the Frognall, south Lincolnshire.

 

More Otter study

 

It's a true privilege to have these animals on our doorstep and would be great to track their progress, using photos to identify each animal. 

A different Otter

After near daily sightings during the freezing conditions in February, Friday's sighting was the first for a while of the white mustached animal. So you can imagine my surprise in find it again this morning, as I headed out. After rattling off a few shots, I went to check on the quality but damn- no memory card!

With home less than a mile away, I rushed back and to my joy the Otter was still there when I got back to the river with a memory card in the camera this time. Obscured by the tree it was sat under, I reeled off a few shots but noticed this animal looked different to Friday's, with a wound above it's right eye and different moustache markings.

I had assumed the individual on Friday (which I have seen a fair few times of late) was a female but Friday's photo showed it having a big wide muzzle. Today's looks a lot cuter but also to my eyes looks like an older animal as well.

Views of this animal were just as exceptional, if not more so. It came out of the river fairly often, including at the base of the historic Deeping St James bridge, which isn't what I am used to with the other animal. 

Once it got towards the high locks, it got out the river once again, this time on the bank I was on. Climbing through the reeds, it got too close to fit the whole animal in the photo. Unperturbed, it then bounded along the bank; stopping to role in the grass occasionally. At one point it nearly turned into the road as a car whizzed by- true heart stopping stuff. 

It's fair to say this has been one of the best Otter experiences I have had- never thought I would get such views less than a mile from home. 

Russian White-front

This Russian White-front was a great addition to the local year list and certainly the most obliging I have ever come across. 

The regular Otter

Old 'white moustache' has become a little irregular after the thaw in our village. Today however, it's been reported a few times and at lunchtime Hugh called today she was showing and as I happened to be heading out, I swung by for a few minutes and as usual as crowd had gathered. What a great animal to have less than a mile from our door.