Comings and goings on OtterCam

Having the cameras in the culvert is a great way of keeping an eye on which otters are about because they are rarely seen in daytime, although one did swim right in front of me while I was eating my bacon sandwich the other morning. The cameras have picked up a powerful-looking lone animal a couple of times recently which I suspect may be a male on patrol.

The female and her pup use the culvert regularly.  This was just before midnight.  She is teaching the pup to kiss the camera as they pass.

The disadvantage when they head south is that they don't trigger the camera until they are half way down the pipe. When they head north we can see them go up the ramp.  This was just before dawn one morning.

And just after 06.00 on another morning.  On this occasion there were still wet footprints on the ramp and the gate when I looked two hours later.

This last sequence is puzzling.  The mother otter ran through the culvert on her own, calling for the pup.  When she reached the far end she could hear the pup squeaking from above.  She ran up the plank to collect it and they returned through the pipe.  I don't know which way they were heading in the first place or how they got separated.  The video ends with the obligatory sniff of the camera - I expect the otters recognise my scent by now.