Otter way to end the day…

 

A glorious start to the day – bright sunshine, the wind has dropped and it’s busy, busy, busy… 

 

 

After struggling with a decent Internet connection, a theory came about while the lagoon webcam was being installed – we may get a better signal from above the treetops.  Not game to don a harness and shin up the nearest Scots pine, I take a walk up the path at the side of the Villa and try out the laptop.

 

 

 

 

 

It works – much quicker – and so I discover, arguably, the best ‘office’ in the world; a fantastic view over the lagoon, birds singing, squirrels playing around my feet (literally!) and sika deer calling in the distance.  It’s a challenge to keep my eyes on the screen.

 

On the other side of the Island a dozen volunteers from Merlin have come over as part of a team-building exercise.  Everyone is keen to learn more about Brownsea and what it has to offer.  Today, for them, it’s the opportunity to build an otter holt. 

 

Two years ago, an otter spraint (or poo) was found on Brownsea and, by providing somewhere cosy and secure, Dorset Wildlife Trust hopes that, in the not-too-distant future, they may just stick around.

 

 

As recently as the 1980s, otters were nearly extinct in England, mainly due to hunting and pesticide use in the 1950s.  In the 1990s various conservation schemes were set up and, in 2002, otter conservationists discovered otters were present in 100 UK towns and cities. 

 

Let’s hope that now there’s all inclusive accomodation on the Island – thanks to the help of these volunteers - we’ll see an otter or two here on Brownsea in the not-too-distant future…