More from OtterCam

Another sighting of the otter and cub in the culvert, this time heading away from the camera.  Mother paused to make sure junior was keeping up and then leapt effortlessly up the sluice gate to show how it is done.  The cub couldn't manage and mother leant over to give encouragement and/or assistance.   At that point the camera reached the end of its 20s recording.  As there was no subsequent recording the cub must have made it up somehow.

I am sure this is the same mother and cub as last week even though the cub appears much bigger this time.  The difference must be due to the distortion of perspective by the (relatively) wide angle lens on the trail camera, as well as the relative positions of the two otters.  This was last week

and this is now.

The next night an otter appeared on its own, first heading south past the camera.  Almost immediately it went back to the sluice gate and stood there, apparently listening intently.  After a few moments it turned and came back past the camera again.

On the next occasion I had a second camera in a ditch about 100m away and it picked up the same otter four minutes later.  Again the otter was on it own.

On the latest recording the otter was again with the cub.  She led it through the culvert and jumped up the gate but again the cub couldn't get up.  Mother reached over and grabbed it but unfortunately the first time she got it by the nose or the whiskers which looks and sounds very painful.  The second grab was more successful and she hauled it up by the scruff of its neck.  On this recording the cub looks almost as big as its mother.

Since then I have put in a plank to act as a ramp so it will be interesting to see if they use it.