First there were three and now there is one. Previous pictures had shown the otter moving three babies back through the culvert, presumably to a safer holt. Two weeks ago we had very heavy rain and floods. Next morning we could hear an otter calling in the flooded ditch downstream of the culvert but couldn't see it. We also heard calls from the reed beds, probably from another two. I was afraid the otter in the ditch was probably a youngster which had been separated from the others and washed through the flooded culvert. There was nothing to be done except hope but the latest pictures on OtterCam show mother with only one baby.
This one is very small and can only just keep up. Here it is following mother into the water for a brief dip.
There was another camera watching but it didn't get a clear view because of the high water level and because the lens was rather misted up.
Fifteen minutes later the two otters went back into the water and this time they didn't return. For the rest of the one minute recording the splashing and ripples continued but they remained just out of view.
Now that the water level has dropped I have four cameras back in place, including one in the culvert. Let's hope the mother's one baby otter survives.
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