My New Camera Adventures

So the new cameras are ready and waiting for any unsuspecting mammals passing them by. With lots of help from Newcastle City Council rangers Mike and Neil I have been on a frenzy of camera activity and set up 5 cameras to capture images of otter, red squirrel and fox (if these animals cooperate that is). The first camera that we set up was under some very dense and thorny undergrowth that a fox had decided would be a very good place for a den. Unfortunately though, this particular spot was clearly not so good a place for anything larger than fox-sized (and I am clearly larger than a fox). Never mind, in I went and although I didn't lose any eyes in the process, I did gain a few more WildPlaces battle scars to add to my collection. The next site we arrived at is, I'm assured, full of red squirrels (needless to say I wasn't impressed when the first dog walker we bumped into was adamant that only deer used this reserve - but I think I'm going to go with the rangers on this one). So the next two cameras had Mike hanging at a precarious angle in a couple of Scots Pines - one hand weilding the camera and strap, the other clinging to the side of the ladder. At this point I was torn between telling him to reach higher and further to really get deep into that red squirrel territory or whether I really wanted to apply my First Aid skills to a real live person. Lucky for me, Mike made it down the tree unscathed and we set off in pursuit of our last urban mammal of the day - the otter. Already wary of otters due to my run-ins with the Ouseburn Otter I wasn't expecting any miracles and I certainly didn't get them! Setting up these two cameras meant wading through very sludgy water that sucked at my feet at every opportunity and somehow ending up with wet socks at the end of it, despite wearing a very new pair of waders. The cameras were duly set up and there was lots of otter spraint around which is always a good sign (but not a guarantee of an otter sighting I have learnt) so I'm hoping that the Ouseburn Otter is the black sheep (or otter) of the family and all other otters in the Newcastle area will be wonderfully behaved and not in the least camera shy.

I will be checking the Stealth Cam 500 for Ouseburn Otter footage next week so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Even The Fox Is At It

There is still no sign of the Ouseburn Otter. On checking Stealth Cam earlier this week I was surprised to see not one, but two badgers, frolicking under the bridge as well as a heron AND a fox merrily sniffing a mountain of now ageing spraint. I am not impressed! I have not been back to the bridge since as a) I think I might just curl up under said bridge and never come out again if I don't see footage of an actual otter soon and b) - and more reasonably I think - I am working on the assumption that the Ouseburn Otter can smell my presence (not surprisinging after all my run-ins with the river) and is refusing to come out until he is completely satisfied that I have given up on him and gone. No such luck Mr O. So yes, it's been a pretty uneventful week with regards to the otter as I wait to lull him into a false sense of security. I have however been having lots of success finding new and unsuspecting critters to set my sights on. A badger sett is fast becoming my new point of obsession but rest assured I will not give up on the Ouseburn Otter until I have him securely on film. My other 'projects' include getting some great footage of red squirrels - bring on adventures with ladders up trees - and after nearly having both my eyes poked out and my face suitably gouged by hawthorn and brambles, I came across a fox den which could prove to be very interesting. I just wonder if these mammals will prove as difficult and tiresome as the Ouseburn Otter. Only time will tell.

A water-filled welly...

My week started with a much anticipated (and dreaded, if I'm honest) visit to the golf course to put Stealth Cam 500 back in its rightful place. Failing to build some amazing otter-proof contraption on Friday, I thought it best to take the camera home with me over the weekend and figure something out. Cue me sending a desperate text message to Bob, cursing the Ouseburn Otter and all things otter-ish. Now, as I'm sure you have all figured out by now, Bob is a hero. Not only has he rescued my cameras from a watery grave, built Fish Island in the middle of the Ouseburn and dispatched of a number of fame hungry spiders for me, he has now come to my rescue re constucting an otter-proof contraption. In reply to my plea for help over the weekend, Bob came up with the idea of building an otter-proof plinth. Yes, a plinth! So now Stealth Cam 500 is proudly sitting under the smallest bridge in the history of bridges on it's very own throne. And it hasn't been knocked down once this week. Amazing. I do, however, have a confession to make. I have grown wise over these past weeks and now when on shuffling under the smallest bridge in the history of bridges, I am kitted out in waterproof trousers, coat and wellies. This has made me careless. I soon learnt that waterproofs and wellies do not a dry person make. You see, I underestimated the Ouseburn and tried to cross it (clearly to get to the other side!). It gobbled me up like a river possesed and left me with a wellington full of smelly water and an extremely soggy sock. The acrobatics I performed that day on the golf course to get only one foot wet were second to none. Add to this the leaves and mud in my hair and goodness knows what else from under that bridge and you can imagine the kind of mood I was in when I arrived in the office. I would now like to take this opportunity to thank Kirsty for the loan of her lovely and dry stripey socks that day and for not mentioning the smell of river water emanating from my jeans. So yes, my confession. All this time I have been blaming the Ouseburn Otter for knocking over my camera and ruining my life when all along it was innocent (well, as innocent as the Ouseburn Otter can be). The creature causing all my under-the-bridge misery (and I have the evidence on film) has actually been a badger. But you see, badgers are neither sneaky nor particularly clever (when compared to the mastermind of the Ouseburn Otter) so I don't hold this against it. I still however do hold a grudge against the Ouseburn Otter. Why? Well you know all the mountains of spraint that I was practically eating for breakfast while finding Stealth Cam flat in the mud? This has now stopped and I have a horrible feeling that while Stealth Cam sits proudly on its plinth, the Ouseburn Otter is going to stop all visitations to the best sprainting spot he will probably ever know. Sorry Ouseburn Otter but your tricks just make me all the more determined to capture you on film and plaster your face all over the North East!

So this is how accommodating and well behaved an otter can be. Take note of how the 'Borough otters do it Mr O!

Practice those wildlife photography skills people!

Here in the North East we have some amazing wildlife that is literally right on our doorstep! Seeing as I am waiting for a lot of you to upload your own great photos and videos of said wildlife (www.urbanwildlife.co.uk for links) I thought that I would give you all some inspiration. I found this really great article in Fox UK (thefoxwebsite.org) which gives some handy tips for photographing foxes - hope you enjoy it and try these tips out!!

Wildlife photographer MARK HAMBLIN explains how to take great photos of your local foxes.

"Foxes are often very visible in our gardens and parks and provide new and exciting opportunities for photography. Contact with humans has made some foxes increasingly tolerant of people, and they can become surprisingly tame – all great news for photographers. To get you started, here are my top tips to help capture that magical moment.

1. Concentrate your photography early and late in the day, when foxes are most active.
2. Look for well-worn ‘fox paths’ or an active earth in spring, where you can set up a camera nearby and wait.
3. Keep your distance to avoid disturbance. Try photographing the fox as part of its environment or use a telephoto lens for close-ups.
4. Position yourself downwind to avoid detection and wear camouflaged or dark clothing.
5. Wear gloves, even in summer, as foxes may well spot the movement of your hands.
6. Pay careful attention to the background and either place the fox in context or shoot against a plain backdrop to make it stand out.
7. Try to use backlighting (photographing towards the sun) to highlight the fox’s ears and create an attractive pictorial effect.
8. Keep a low profile and shoot at eye level for more intimate portraits.
9. Be patient and remain still, avoiding any sudden movements.
10 . Photograph using natural light. A sudden blast of flash will often cause alarm.

This wonderful footage of fox cubs playing in Newcastle was taken by Bob Wilkin - thanks Bob!

The Fish Island Kingfisher

The rain has finally calmed in it's tirade against the North East but yesterday was still a sad day for all. David arrived in Gosforth to dismantle the cameras that have become quite at home in Bob's back garden. After about six weeks of otter pursuing, I'm afraid to say that I have given up (kind of). Well, on the big camera system at least. I have changed my tactic to more stealth, more Ouseburn Otter caught unawares. So, the big cameras have come down and in their place is one stealth camera. Under a bridge. On a golf course (as you all know). This probably means that Fish Island will now be teeming with otters whereas the only mammal it was teeming with before was rats. Go figure. Interestingly enough, Fish Island does have a new resident - a kingfisher! This particular kingfisher has defied all evolutionary logic and taken to diving for its dinner off the island (rather than the more traditional branch or perch). I'm glad that something is getting good use out of that island!

So yes, stealth cam 500 is up and running which now means I spend most of my early mornings flattened under the lowest bridge in history, face level with the most otter spraint that I have seen in my life! I can only thank the otter gods that it is the odour of jasmine tea dangerously close to my mouth rather than the foul smelling poo of some other animal. While there is a frustratingly large amount of spraint under this bridge, there is a frustratingly small amount of otter footage on my camera (try none). This is because the Ouseburn Otter is smart. And sneaky. Although I have set the camera up and made sure that it is well wedged and going nowhere, so far I have slithered up to a camera that is face down, recording images of dirt. How does the otter do this?! I just know that my Friday afternoon is going to be spent building an otter-proof contraption so I can rest easy over the weekend, knowing that the Ouseburn Otter will not get the better of me again!