MinkCam

This blog has been dominated by trail camera videos in the last few weeks, partly because of the second lockdown which made it difficult to get out much but also because the cameras have been busy.   After disappearing for two weeks the mink turned up again on the trail cameras.  Just before the recent heavy rain the water level in the culvert was low so it could walk through rather than swim.

First in daylight and then in the dark.

In the past few days it has also appeared on cameras nearby

A mink on OtterCam

This is not something we want to see.  The camera in the culvert recorded this animal three times on the same day.  It is an American mink (Neovison vison), a non-native invasive species.

It is smaller than an otter and has a ferret-shaped face and pale ear margins.  Notice how it swims fairly high in the water compared with an otter, and swims with a "doggy paddle" with its tail out of the water.

The American mink is universally unwelcome and is a menace to our native wildlife.  These pictures are from a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't been seen since.  I suspect it was passing through and moved on when it didn't detect the scent of a possible mate and perhaps because it did detect the scent of otters.

Another alien invader

It is a beautiful animal but it shouldn't be here.  This is the American mink (Neovison vison), an invasive non-native species. The UK population originated from escapes and deliberate releases from fur farms by pea-brained so-called "animal rights activists".  The number of mink may be declining as the otter population increases but mink are widespread in this country and are responsible for the destruction of much of our native fauna and the extinction of water voles in large parts of the countryside.

Although the original farmed animals were of all sorts of colours most have reverted to the wild type dark brown like this one.

Night-time trail camera - Otter part 1

At last some success in capturing a night-time otter photo with the trail camera.  Since seeing the otters on the ice at Big Waters I have been trying to get otter pictures in the dark.  It has taken more than a dozen nights to get these few photos.  The otters move quickly and I can see on the videos that they are perhaps more aware of the flash for the colour pictures than are the fox or the badger.  Obviously the infrared photos don't bother them.  I think these first photos are of the mother.  Size is difficult to assess here but I think she has a higher back and more perfect shape.

And I think this is the cub with a proportionately larger head.

On at least half the nights there was no otter activity at all - I suppose they were somewhere else.  There have also been quite a few near misses.  This was the first photo I got - at least it was evidence that they were around and that the camera was roughly in the right place.

This wasn't too bad but the otter was a bit too far away.

And this one was rather too close.

Then I got several pictures of retreating otters.

And proof that there is more than one.  I have this on video from the Bushnell as well but the quality when uploaded isn't good enough to show here.

The camera also picked up evidence of an American mink, despite the presence of the otters.

Oh, and the badger didn't want to be left out so it popped in for another photo opportunity.

Last night was the best yet and the camera took a dozen photos, the best of which are here.  I don't know if the otters are getting used to my scent or to the flash or if the camera sensitivity has improved.  I'll keep at it and post more pictures if they are good enough.