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.