Otter Spotters!

Image by Michael Weir, via Unsplash

Last Friday, David and I were astonished and thrilled to see an otter on our local river, the Roding. It swam upstream a little way and then clambered up the bank and disappeared into the undergrowth. We savoured the moment and then came home to do our fact-checking. Its size, shape and swimming style confirmed our conviction that it was otter and not mink.

Before you feel too envious, let me assure you it wasn't one of the rare idyllic wildlife encounters where everything aligns – spectacular surroundings, good weather, a clear line of sight, plenty of time to focus binoculars and maybe even take a photo. Not at all; the day was dull, the environment unremarkable, we were both struggling with aches and pains, a small tree partially obscured our view, and we just about managed to focus our binoculars in time to see the otter leave the river and make for cover!

Despite, or perhaps even because of these imperfections, it was a wonderful moment. I imagine the otter may have been one of last year's cubs, now branching out to find its own territory. If so, we probably won't see it again and the experience will join other precious one-offs in my personal ‘top-of-the-pops’ wildlife memories.

Watching a nightingale singing its heart out at an Essex nature reserve on a dreadfully wet day; starling murmurations on the Somerset levels, dippers on the Isle of Skye, and my first male bullfinch on the riverbank in Durham in my student days.

Further back is another shining recollection, sitting on the prow of a canal boat, when I was about 10, watching dappled sunlight catch the scales of fish in a stretch of crystal-clear water. A glimpse into another world. And even longer ago, as a young child, in Epping Forest, peeking under rocks or logs my dad lifted to reveal lizards, beetles and other creeping creatures.

Do you have any stand-out memories of wildlife encounters? I'd love to hear about them below.