WildPlaces

Thank-you WildPlaces!

2011-03-28T11:28:00.005+01:00

WildPlaces I thank-you. Not only am I now a complete technical genius and words such as Sniper IR and Prowler HD roll off the tongue, I have learnt so much about the wildlife that this part of the world has to offfer. I have discovered the joys of badger courting rituals, underground fox cub feeding and strange visitors to dens at night and I've seen more hedgehogs than I could shake a stick at!

I like to think that I now know a lot more about wildlife and conservation in general (thank-you to all my teachers at NWT!) and I have a definite affinity with otter poo (not too bad) and badger poo (yucky yucky stuff!). Plus I've seen my first wax wings, badgers, great crested newts and even a water shrew while I have been here. Not bad for a girl who had only read about the animals in Farthing Wood while watching elephants out the back window (no, dont even think it, I did not have elephants and lions running round my garden).

Seriously though, its been great working on WildPlaces and setting children straight that an otter is not a meerkat, beaver or even a duck-billed platypus! I guess theres hope for us all yet. So I hope you have all enjoyed reading my WildPlaces adventures and watching my videos of the great North Eastern wildlife that I have filmed. I have enjoyed capturing all the weird and wonderful creatures of the North East (not least of all the Ouseburn Otter) and being able to vent my frustrations and, at times, my self-satisfaction, on this blog. Keep on filming!

G-otter picture!!

2011-03-17T13:11:00.007Z

Well the wonderful past two years that has been WildPlaces is coming to an end. In exactly two weeks time today. But that's ok (no really it is) because its mission accomplished and just in the nick of time. With some sadness that the chase is finally over but also with a huge dollop of relief that a mere otter didn't manage to outsmart me in the end, I am happy to say that the Ouseburn otter has, at last, been cap - tured! And properly this time, although something tells me that he wasn't quite trying to hide - rather flaunt himself gladly in front of the cameras. Maybe he too knew that the chase was indeed up.

But now I can relinquish my post as WildPlaces officer a happy woman. For two years I have dedicated myself to trying to outwit Mr O. I have tried the cruel 'kill-the-spiders-on-the-lens' technique. I have tried the 'stick-a-bit-of-cod-on-an-island' technique. I have even built him palaces all up and down the Ouseburn River, lugging rocks from near and far to provide an enticing outdoor toilet (now what other holt can boast an en suite hey). All to no avail. Until now. Mr O, I got you good and proper!

It was a bittersweet moment when I saw this footage. Triumphant. Yes. Bit a little sad that my mission had come to an end. I guess my next challenge will be to see this little critter in the flesh. A considerable amount more frustrating I would think and I'm not sure that its a challenge that I wish to undertake. Not just yet anyway.

But hey-ho who know what the future holds with regards to otters. My partner in crime Bob Wilkin has been with me every step of the way in the otter seeking fiasco. He was the one wielding the bug spray, rescuing cameras in the middle of the night during floods and building walkways, holts and islands to lure Mr O in closer and closer. And he did succeed. We got prints. We got spraint. Just no footage on camera that wasn't blighted by spiders, rain and underwater swimming ability. Until now of course. But yes, I digress. My point is, Bob has all these wonderful stories about taking otters for walks, having his lower ear nearly bitten off by the very same otter and probably seeing more otters, in more places, than you or I could ever wish for. I have every faith that one day, this might be me telling such wonderful stories to someone else embarking on a near impossible mission such as I did. I wish you luck. Really I do.

Love is in the air

2011-02-21T13:18:00.004Z

Love is in the air. Da da da da da. Love is in the aiiiiiiir. What wonderful watching these two have made over the past few weeks. Utterly content with each other and just chilling out. I love it. Now, I have been told that my choice of music for this clip is absolutely cringe-worthy but I thought it must surely be better than Kev's suggestion of J'taime. Unimaginable isn't it - tainting these two sweethearts with such lewd lyrics. Tut tut Kevin.

But seriously, can it get any sweeter. When we first saw these two lovebirds it was all rubbing each other up and bickering. Now their relationship has blossomed into a chilled out relaxed-ness. Over the past two years my vast array of stealth cameras, GL80s and Prowler HD's, amongst others, have provided me with an amazing insight into the secret life of mammals (and other random creatures). I've seen rats leaping, and swinging from, ridiculous heights, I've seen hedgehogs scale blocks way too big for their little legs. Hey, I've even seen a group of badgers sitting around so similar to a group of old men, they might as well have been smoking pipes. Its all been wonderful (look at me getting all sentimental) but these badgers must be some of my favourite footage. Pure emotion. All they need now is a little cub pattering around their feet.

Badgers. I love you. I think that I've said all I can do about badger romance, except of course for this .....

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!

Caught in a bad(ger) romance.

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh! Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!

Caught in a bad(ger) romance.

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!Roma-Roma-ma-ah!Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!

Want your bad(ger) romance

Absolutely terrible I know, but there you are. A bit of badger GaGa for you to enjoy. Who wouldn't love it? I do.

Go Prowler HD!

2011-02-08T11:38:00.003Z

Theres nothing better than putting my cameras to good use. And by good use I mean finding the first records of badgers in a certain area (sssshhhh its a secret) for nigh on 60 years. Yep, Prowler HD to the rescue. My good ranger friend set up a couple of my cameras in a very unlikely spot after his son spotted a few strange holes (trust kids to clamber up and down cliffs and make such an exciting discovery). Thinking that capturing a fox on camera might be quite nice, the ranger (we'll call him Mike) left the camera to its own devices and thought nothing more of it.

So imagine his surprise (and mine) when the memory card was filled with badger antics such as these ...

And the good times kept on rolling. I currently have 3 discs full of clips of badgers that Mike has kindly given me (thank goodness he's a sharer) so my Tuesday at work is pretty darn cool. Meetings? Nah. Paperwork and spreadsheets? No thanks. Saving the planet one mammal at a time? Maybe tomorrow. Right now, watching badgers coat each other in musky scent and frolic in the dead of night is something that I can definitelty do.

And the exciting species didnt stop there. Last week met me with the descent of a flock of wax wings on the trees outside the wildlife trust's headquarters in Gosforth. My first sighting of wax wings ever. Who knew birds could be so awesome. No offence to all the bird lovers out there but as a general rule, if it aint a mammal (or an amphibian at a push), I aint interested. But really, what a great way to spend those last few minutes between work closing and the pub opening. Bliss.

Further bliss is the final, final showing of some colour in this barren winter landscape. The snowdrops are out and this gives me hope. Now I know these flower earlier than most but still, its nice to think that spring is finally on its way and with it, some sunshine and cutesy, fluffy cubs of all species for my cameras to film.

2011-01-07T11:47:00.004Z

And so 2011 has arrived. Not so much with a bang as with a brrrrr but never mind things can only get warmer. I hope. All the snow must have caused some serious problems for all the wildlife out there but take comfort from these intrepid little travellers who don't look too fazed at all by the white stuff.

In fact, this fox looks positively bright eyed and bushy tailed considering the amount of snow it is having to plough through!

Just before Christmas, WildPlaces held its 'Iiiiiiits Chriiiiiistmas' (you guessed it) Christmas event. Despite the treacherous weather lots of lovely children and their parents ventured down to Jesmond Dene to join us in a crafty crafy morning. Good times we had. From making plant pot reindeers to candle table decorations and owl pencil holders, the kids got down and dirty in the name of Christmas and all the shiny, glittery, sparkling things that go with it. Here is a wee sample of the offerings of the day.....

So seeing as it the new year and only my first week back at work I'm afraid I have no exciting news to part with. I did see a lovely big fat mistle thrush which I thoroughly enjoyed but thats just by the by. So for now, please make do with these lovely wintery shots and have a great 2011!

Melting snow - finally!

2010-12-10T09:34:00.006Z

Christmas is coming and the the world is starting to defrost. Life couldnt be better. Finally the squirrels, badgers, otters, foxes, birds and other will have something to drink and maybe, just maybe, something to eat in this brown sludge that was once called snow. Good times.

There are of course animals that are smart enough to bunk down somewhere warm and wait it out, others even leave the country (wimps) but for those of us with no choice but to brave the cold, all is not lost. But its a balmy six degrees out I hear you cry - the worst is over. That may be true (but again it may not, especially if we judge by previous weather forecasts - where was that indian summer so anticipated?) but we still need to think of the wildlife out there. Yep, they may now be able to drink, fish and whatnot in these newfound tropical conditions but this past fortnight would have left its mark. Leave fresh water (check that it doesnt freeze though!) and scraps out in the garden for birds and other wildlife (or at a feeding station if you are super motivated), and we can hopefully help our wildlife survive this horrible (but beautiful) winter, even if it is rapidly melting at the moment.

A school in Prudhoe has been leaving handmade honey-covered peanuts (a delicacy in badger land) out for their residents badgers although the little tykes did seem to enjoy ripping up the school field in favour of worms and other wrigglys once they had chomped all the peanuts up.

Admittedly this was before the worst of the snow hit but they seemed to be doing ok even when the ground was all frosty and white.

Yes, lets pretend the ground is all frosty and white here. Film was taken of these very badgers during the last two weeks of snow but I like this film better so thats what you get.

So what more is there to say than Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Mammal Hunting (in a lovey conservation way, not the guns and blood type).

Bring on 2011!

Rain, the dene and school children. What fun!

2010-12-02T11:47:00.006Z

Who loves drawing? I don't. In fact I'm terrible at it. I always used to get the creative guy in my class to do my art for me. Oh yes. I cheated at school. But only at art. Promise. As a general rule (in my job, not life before anyone gets offended) drawing and colouring in is normally accompanied by a mass of very excited primary school children. Hence the calming clip of a fox before I delve into the chaotic (yet fun) world of working with kids.

Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of working with Class 15 from Atkinson Rd primary in Benwell. Now why does Benwell ring a bell? I would hope its because you've all taken note and have instantly thought of Benwell Dene. Well this was the plan with the kids. We did some mammal-y sessions at school and finally when I asked for a mammal example, I was not told eagle, owl or snake. That was the hard part over. Next was the visit to Benwell Dene to ooooh and aaaaah over the new pond dipping platform and to discover what mammals might be lurking in the dene. It all went rather well I think. The rain was lashing down but the kids all braved the weather and filed out of the school gates and into the dene. We were a little wet but our enthusiasm could not be dampened (Ba!Bom!). Off we set to look for tracks and trails (planted by me) and to 'crack the code' (wingdings, I love you). So yup, take 22 kids, in the wet, in a park. What do you get? Lots of muddy bottoms. Not great for the moms and dads when they got home. But so so so great for me. Never have I seen such anctics. Yes, my risk assesment covered 'slips, trips and falls' but not flying through the air superman-style or just how high kids could bounce. Hilarious. Best part of the day.

But anyway, what I am trying to get to is the drawing. The last phase of the Benwell Dene project is to put up an interpretation board, telling all and sundry about the fanatastic wildlife that can be found in here. This is where the drawing comes in. Once we were dry and warm back in the classroom, I got the kids to draw me mammals that they think might be found in the dene. Some wanted to draw rats which, while technically right, I didnt think would raise the dene's profile too much. Here are a couple which I think are just brilliant, weird or just downright disturbing. I'll leave you to decide which one falls in which category.

Snow - oh -oh-oh-oh

2010-11-26T09:19:00.003Z

And so the snow has arrived. Earliest widespread snowfall in 17 years you know. And early snow means early footprints so get your wellies and camo gear on and start tracking! Seriously, this lovely thick snow is just awesome to discover whats been out and about in your garden. Footprints never lie. But beware, objects can appear larger than they seem - snow melts and voila! you have a yetti or, better yet, a gigantic otter mooching round your garden. Unlikey, but you may just have a badger or average sized otter coming for a snoop.

One such footprint excitement occured not so long ago. As the theme goes, I set up a camera to capture footage of the Ouseburn otter. And as the theme goes, I haven't caught anything since the last spider-covered triumph. Buuuut we did have some (pause) footprints! Yes, my mate Bob called me in great excitement to say that otter tracks had miraculously appeared on the walkway (that he built. Obviously.) along the Ouseburn river. So we had footprints and we had a camera watching that walkway. Recipe for Mr O to be caught on camera. Right? Wrong. Bob had moved the camera to see if he could get his badgers on camera. Nothing wrong with that. Otters aren't the be all and end all. But, typically the few nights that the cameras were trained on the badgers was super windy. And super windy means lots of movement which means lots of false triggering of the camera. So anyway, the camera was dutifully placed back on its post on the Ouseburn (once the risk of flooding was over) and promptly ran out of battery. Super. One Ouseburn otter. One stealthcam HD. No blooming power. Story of my life. But still the struggle goes on.

However, its not all bad news. Quite often something cool, other than an otter, is picked up. Take this pouncing fox for example. Drainage pipe. A field covered in lovely long grass. I cant think of a better use for it. It seems to do just the trick (if you have sound, turn it up - some definite squeaking going on here).

And while waiting for the otter at Bob's, these little critters all turned up. Like I said, Mr O is not neccessarily the star of the show.

Golf balls keep falling on my head.

2010-10-28T08:13:00.005+01:00

About a week ago or so, myself and a few intrepid volunteers marched into the not so hostile territory that is otherwise known as the golf course. As some as you may know, this particular golf course is Ouseburn Otter territory. And what the otter wants, the otter gets. Mr O has made my life an utter misery yet there I was building him a palace on a prime bit of real estate. Sounds like Stockholm syndrome to me. So yep, amidst flying golf balls and horror stories of irreparable golf ball skull damage, myself and the vols soldiered on. Luckily we remained unharmed and upbeat. This picture tells it all. Just look at those happy faces.

They say that forewarned is forearmed so on one of my more obscure google searches I came across this "On a more practical note, if you hear the distant call of "fore" and you find yourself the only one not ducking for cover, then perhaps it's time to start taking notes." Okay, fair enough. If you hear FORE! then expect there to be a pretty good chance of being smacked by a golf ball. Except I never heard the call of 'fore', distant or not, and let me tell you, some of these golf balls came pretty darn close. However, it was ladies day so perhaps this was understandable. Horror of all horrors, could I possibly be suggesting that ladies aren't much good with a ball and a stick? I wouldn't know, seeing that golf has completely passed me by thus far. BUT I am a lady (no comments from the peanut gallery please) so I can say such things.

Now, I'm pretty sure I regaled you all with tales of more otter holt building along the Ouseburn not so long ago? We have had a visitor there. Its not Mr O as one might expect but still, a visitor is a visitor.

What a lovely chappy. Luckily, he couldn't actually fit inside the holt itself, so it lives another day to welcome the webbed feet and slick coat of an otter. Hooray. And now you see why it is imperative to have not one but two tunnels - an escape route is never a bad thing.

10 salmon a leaping

2010-10-11T08:09:00.005+01:00

Jump salmon, JUMP! This was my mantra when I accompanied an otter whizz kid on a survey last week. We were out hunting for the Ouseburn Otter's elusive cousin, the Northumberland Otter. Not as city smart as Mr O, this country otter left us plenty of signs to show he was about but didn't dare show his face. This dirty, wholly unnecessary teasing must run in the otter family. Country bumpkin or not, all otters seem to carry the sneaky gene. Otter lovers worldwide call this trait 'elusiveness.' Rose tinted glasses me thinks. Elusive my a***. Conniving and out to torment me is far more likely. The behaviour (torment perhaps) that I have seen over the last 18 months does not stem from something as sweet as being shy. Grrrr otters. Perhaps you can tell its a Monday morning? Perhaps you can tell I have just whacked my head on the shelf above the desk. Perhaps you can tell that Bob Wilkin (my partner in crime from when the hunt for Mr O first started) has reported tons of activity along the river near his house. The river that I don't currently have cameras on! This is more than shyness. This otter behaviour is planned, calculated and executed with the utmost precision and hilarity on Mr O's part. He certainly is spreading the word. And I kinda love him for it.

And here is photographic evidence to prove that I'm not an otter-hating philistine (just rather grumpy this morning). Ok, so I realise that I'm not actually in this picture but I was present. Promise. This is Mike, ranger (he too has an obsession with otters), along with vols who were kind enougth to help out, and our cunningly disguised otter holt.

You may too have seen me on Countryfile last night digging my heart out for a holt at Lowe Barnes nature reserve. I was the one looking go-ood in waterproof trousers and wellie liners. Or perhaps not. But you see my point is that I do care. I really do.

But I digress. Back to leaping salmon. Have you been witness to a salmon run? Awesome, is what it was. These salmon (and trout) were absolutely amazing. After travelling for goodness knows how long, they were being met by a pretty intimidating weir. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it was the steepest weir that I have ever laid my eyes on. And boy did these guys jump. Besides the fact that they had to propel themselves meters in to the air, the rains had come a calling and the river was flowing pretty fast. It was a veritable Niagara Falls out there. I felt really sorry for the poor things. Up they jumped, never making it to the next level. Those that did make it up the first three steps of the weir, then let themselves down by jumping clear over the wall and ending up back where they started. It was like their own personal video game. Poor poor salmon. In desperation, myself and Kev (the aforementioned whizz kid) refused to leave until we had seen at least one salmon make it all the way. And that we did. One lone, beastly-big salmon succeeded where others had failed. He defeated the weir and made us both feel slightly better. On a brighter note though, they sure look like they tasted good (they really were thiiiiiiiis biiiiiiiig). Next time I'll be there with a net.

badgers galore!

2010-10-04T09:02:00.004+01:00

I seem to have lost a post or two. Surely it is an impossibility that I have not written a smidgen since July. Can't be. However, I have been busy busy busy. First off, there was holidays. Not any old holiday mind, a badger-filled holiday. A busmans holiday some have said but a fabulous time nonetheless. Badgers galore!

Now I can happily say that I have seen a real live badger, in the flesh, up-close. Now for that pesky otter...

I still have not been able to check for footage of frolicky otters and whatnot on the Ouseburn. Along with my posts, I am losing everything else. Not me personally mind, but I sense another otter conspiracy. Somehow (lets call it magic), the screen that I need to view the footage (and hence check who or what is appearing in it) has disappeared. How a big fat 80s style monitor (flatscreen it is not) vanishes off the face of the earth is beyond me. Like I said - conspiracy with a capital C. I smell an otter.

The otter is also up to his old tricks on another part of the Ouseburn river. Its a familiar story by now and I am not really surprised. Take one stealth camera in position on a river bank and I bet you know the rest. Fresh spraint abounds but no footage of an otter. YET. This is getting pretty ridiculous. Responsibility for this one has been handed over to Michael, dene ranger, and I have complete faith in him. He has not yet been jaded by the wiley games of the otter and I believe he can do it. While I will not be able to claim that I captured the Ouseburn otter on film, the victory will be a moral one. Mr O will be captured, in full technicolour, with no spider legs to protect him. At this point in time, I couldnt care less who gets the shot, as long as it is got.

Raccoons in Durham. Whatever next?!

2010-07-27T12:01:00.006+01:00

Well, Paul A has rudely scarpered off to America (a holiday - how dare he!) so there may yet be a dancing otter waiting to be discovered on my cameras along the Ouseburn. I'm just going to have to wait til he returns and checks the cameras out. Oh how I wish I had the time. The suspense is killing me!

Despite the atrocious weather, the good old WildPlaces wildlife has been out and about, providing some very cute footage for the cameras. Check out our youtube channel WildPlaces NE for some wonderful footage of badger cubs that was taken by my colleague Kenny. Adorable (the cubs, not Kenny - no offence Kenny). And have you all seen the latest addition to the mammal count in the North East? A racoon. Yep, the cameras have captured those rarest of British mammals (well, perhaps just a resident mammal rather than a true Brit) - the raccoon.

He is quite a charming little fella although some of the papers describe him as a Nazi raccoon. Im sure you can all guess the calibre of the papers that print headlines like that! And, yes, I know this opens a whole can of worms of non-natives in Britain etc etc but just lets not go there. I am not open for some serious debate. Im not sure that I can cope with something like that after months of dawn bat surveys (think getting up at 2am for work) and seriously sugared up kids in their last week of school. A party just isnt a party without a hyperactive gardening club!

WildPlaces does practical work too!

2010-07-08T11:07:00.008+01:00

Thanks to everyone who voted for WildPlaces. Unfortunately we didn't make it through to the next round but I think it was a great effort by all. To come in the top ten for such a relatively small project was fantastic and who knows, there might be a next time!

So what has been going on in the last month? I wonder. There's been a little bit of hedgehog action, a lot of fox cub frolicking and who knows, maybe a stealthy otter has been in on the act.

The big boy cameras are finally up and running along the Ouseburn River. Whoop. Whoop.
A few weeks ago, I spent a very uneventful (but miraculously sunny) day setting them up. I say uneventful because I couldn't get the ridiculous things to work!! Vision loss. Vision loss. Vision loss. Who ever heard of a camera having vision loss? Isn't it their jobs to see?! But all they needed was the magic touch (and technical brain) of Mark the camera technician and bham! otter- catching cameras away! Sadly Paul A hasn't had time to check them yet so who knows, there might just be a dancing otter waiting to be discovered.

As Paul has taken over much of the camera work for the moment, I think its high time that the wonderful WildPlaces volunteers get a mention. They have been working hard at making the north east a better place for creatures great and small and have done me proud. Its always excellent when the time for practical habitat management comes around but willing, able and fantastic volunteers make my job that much better.

First up, the kids at Byker Primary have been amazing - you guys rock (and no, no slave labour was involved here)! We have been creating a wildlife garden at the school and now have a smashing bug hotel, wildlife hedge and sensory bee garden to boast about. We've still got our pond to make and new fence to go in over the summer but check out this amazing bench I got commissioned from Chainsaw Creations.

Yes, the gardeners look chuffed with it (less excited than me and the head teacher though I think) but the highlight of the time we've spent working hard (for all involved!) will almost definitely be our end of project party in a couple of weeks. Chocolate cake, crisps, fizzy drinks. I think I'm going to have some hyper kids on my hands next Monday!

And from hard working children to business-suited adults (still hard working I hasten to add!). Over the past 6 weeks, the Quorom Business Park in North Tyneside has had one heck of a wildlife project going on. We've been clearing out the letch that runs through the grounds of the business park, turning it into a wildlife haven. Who would've thought that pulling out a few reeds would be such hard work? A jolly it is not. Through rain (seriously icy, pelting-down rain) and shine we have worked tirelessly to turn the letch into something resembling a river. Rather than the overgrown, impenetrable jungle that it started out as. It looks good. There have been a few incidences of ferocious mud monsters trying to suck us under and more than a few 'relics' pulled from the river but overall the hard work has paid off. Once the arduous job of river clearing is done, the volunteers will be rewarded with the relatively easy task of planting some wildflowers and possibly even a wildlife hedge in the winter. Fun times. How I love practical work. Really I do.

As an aside, thank-you to everyone who reads my blog and leaves comments. Its always great to read them :) BUT, I have recently discovered that there have been inappropriate comments (in chinese no less) left on my blog so I have decided to remove the comments feature all together. Please email me at kara.jackson@northwt.org.uk if you have something to say or videos to share. Thanks!

Vote for WildPlaces!!

2010-06-07T13:38:00.004+01:00

So the WildPlaces BatBox Duet has finally arrived and I have been playing detective in the back garden. Turns out my resident bat is none other than a little common pipistrelle (still exciting nonetheless). And there I was making it out to be some monster bat. Tut. Tut.

Anyway, this month (or should I say last month) has been a super busy month, hence the lack of communications on the blog. The first highlight of the month was the BioBlitz which was held at Ashington Community Woodlands this year. I was charged with setting up cameras and capturing loads and loads of exciting footage of beasties in the woodland. And beasties did I get! Most notable beastie was Paul Salmon, our Eco-North manager, doing a newt survey while rocking a pair of waders that looked suspiciously like thigh-high boots. Still, clad in those 'waders' Paul was able to net us some horse leeches, smooth newts and a cool common toad. That was three species added to the BioBlitz count. More traditional beasties caught on my cameras included red squirrels, roe deer, a fox and lots of magpies, pigeons and crows. One of my cameras was mounted way up in a pine tree to try and capture the elusive little red. Memories of myself and Paul A lugging the ladder through the woodland, on what was possibly the hottest day of the year so far, still makes me shudder. It is not an experience that I wish to repeat. And to top it all off, the red squirrels didn't even bother to visit my carefully constructed squirrel feeder. No, I got footage of the little critters munching squirrel feed (cheating, I know) on the ground, in front of a camera reserved for foxes! Hey, I can't complain, footage of red squirrel is footage of red squirrel. During the BioBlitz I also had the pleasure of meeting student extraordinaire Chantelle. She kindly helped me to remove all the cameras once the BB was over, without the need of hoisting a ladder about. Brilliant. This girl should've been born a squirrel. She somehow managed to scurry up a tree (a pine tree!) and unlock and untangle one camera in one awkward position. Boy did that save me a tantrum or two!! Hmmm, don't try that one at home kids. So, well done to Elaine and the team for organising a fantastic blitz of all things bio (and for organising a comfy bed at the end of a very long day 1). I think everybody had a great time and overall, we managed to record over 3 000 different species - really impressive for an urban woodland. And it just goes to show that there's plenty of wildlife out there if you look hard enough for it.

Oh, and i swear this is a red squirrel. Some silly silly man investigated my little GL80 in the hedge and then thought it would be a brilliant idea to swish it about and ruin any subsequent shots. Messing with my art. How very dare he.

Second highlight of the month has been the filming of some wonderful little fox cubs at the Your Homes Newcastle in South Gosforth. The cubs have been spotted frolicking in the parking lot of the offices so I was there like a shot. On arrival at YHN, I was pleased to see signs all over warning people to 'drive slow. Fox cubs playing.' I decided to put up two of the HD stealth cams to capture the antics of the cubs and, unlike the Ouseburn Otter, these little guys are naive. They didn't try to hide from the cameras and sneak about like some creatures I know so I managed to get some really sweet shots of them. Paul will be editing the footage soon but this is a taster of things to come ....

Speaking of fox cubs, Paul has been out and about setting up cameras in gardens all around the North East as the cubs come out to play. Keep an eye on Facebook and YouTube in the near future to see the videos that he managed to get. Ooooh and check out http://www.urbanwildplaces.co.uk/ and check out our swish new website and vote for WildPlaces to win a National Lottery award. Please.

A rabid vampire bat in England? Never.

2010-05-10T13:30:00.003+01:00

The cameras are up and waiting. Now all I need is an otter. At the moment, the big gun cameras are in use so I have only my trusty trail cams to rely on. I'm confident in their ability though and am looking forward to Friday when I will be able to check the footage (and hopefully get something more than raindrops on water!). Until then I wait with bated breath.

Did you know that bat season is upon us? I'm sure you've all seen the shadows of pipistrelles and daubentons (amongst others) flitting through the night sky (so have worked this out for yourself). I, for one, have a bad mother of a bat hunting in and around my garden so the aim of the week is to find out what bat it might be, armed with just a bat detector and my (not so) wiley perception. If you've never been on a bat walk or heard the eerie sounds that a bat makes while flying and hunting, I seriously reccommend you try out a bat walk. For most of us (unless you are young and spritely), we can only 'hear' a bat with the aid of a bat detector and only the proffessionals or the wildly enthusiastic tend to have this kind of kit. I won't go into all the technical stuff of how the detectors work but check out the Northumberland and Durham bat group websites for a series of walks led by super knowledgable people or join WildPlaces (also super knowledgable)on 20th May for a walk through Harpley Woods. Honestly, its something you have to do at least once in your life and the window of opportunity will close in around October (depending on how soon winter wants to start). Hearing a bat blowing a raspberry is priceless. Just priceless.

Oh and dont be afraid of bats. The smallest species of UK bat (the pip) can fit into a matchbox. Now how can you be scared of that? The UK currently doesnt have any blood sucking (or otherwise) vampire bats and its even a bit of a myth that bats will give you rabies. In the UK, it is so so so rare for a bat to even have rabies (never mind transmit it) and its not the classical foaming-at-the-mouth-rabid-dog rabies that we all know and love. In fact, according to the Bat Conservation Trust, classical rabies has never been recorded in a native European bat species. Bats get something called European Bat Lyssavirus and since 1986, over 9000 bats have been tested and only 9 have been found to have the live virus. And you can avoid the risk by not handling bats unless you really, really have to (and I mean really have to) and to wear gloves if you do. Anyway, thats me off my soapbox and you hopefully learning something new.

An otter, CountryFile and those St Nix frogs

2010-04-30T08:01:00.004+01:00

The hunt has officially begun. Against my better judgement I have resurrected the search for the Ouseburn Otter. Last week, I set two of my new ProwlerHD cameras up along the banks of the Ouseburn at Bob's, pointing directly onto the wall where the sneaky beggar sprainted last week. I will catch him this time. And do you know why? Today I am moving further upstream and setting up yet more cameras to catch the little blighter. He can't swim underwater forever and he can't always dodge my cameras. I plan to strategically position the camera upstream so that as he ducks under to miss my first batch of stealth cams, he will pop up from under the water, all self-satisfied and superior (or so he thinks), only to be hit - BAM! - by the gentle infrared glow of Prowler HD number 3. I'm not entirely sure that this plan will work as he's outsmarted me many many times but anything is worth a try, right? Right?! Here's a reminder of the King of the Flood, the Goose-Footed Prowler (in Bob's immortal words), the Conniving Trickster (in mine).

So, did you all watch Countryfile on Sunday (25th April)? If not, check it out on BBC iPlayer as it was really great to see the wildlife of the north east showcased as it was, and of course to see the wonderful Bob that I am always banging on about. If, like many of the people that have been emailing me, you have been inspired to purchase your own trail camera (or if you live in the North East, WildPlaces is always happy to share), then check out http://www.scottcountry.co.uk/news_detail.asp?newsID=1008&link=head for details on many of the trail cameras on the market along with a handy 'how to' guide. I must point out now that I am an impartial writer here and am not favouring one company over the other - the people at Scott Country were kind enough to provide this information for the blog so I have put it up here. I may, however, be persuaded to be a little more partial to a particular place and/or company were that particular place and/or company do a little charity work and donate a few trail cameras to the project or, at the very least, sponsor me to do the Big Slide over the River Tyne (hint hint!). I must also point out that this is a light hearted blog and blackmail, corruption and/or bribery is not permitted. Thanks anyway, Scott Country for providing the info, I'm sure a lot of wildlife enthusiasts will find it super helpful.

Remember I mentioned the superhero assistant Paul? Well, he has been working on a lovely froggy video of the pond here at St Nicholas Park. It was amazing how many frogs you can fit into one relatively small pond and we all enjoyed watching their antics (not in a rude way of course). So now, for your viewing pleasure, I present the Frogs of St Nix. Bravo. Bravo.

Ooooh and since we are on the subject of frogs, I feel it is time for a little bit of education. Here we go.

Do you know the difference between a frog and a toad? And before I dive in and give you all the answers, I must thank Steve Lowe at the Northumberland Wildlife Trust for his spiffing amphibian training he delivered the other day and thus providing most of what I am now going to tell you ....

So, lets start with our little froggy counterparts

Smooth skin - check. Pointed snout - check. Brown patch behind the eye (for the common frog) - check. Barring on hind legs;ie stripey legs (common frog again) - check. Spawn laid in clumps - check.

And Mr Toad, well he (or she, i'm no sexist) has ....

warty skin, a copper coloured iris and a horizontally split pupil. And guess what, they lay their spawn in clumps rather than strings (or necklaces if you prefer), which you would know had you watched Paul's video.

But, perhaps the most obvious difference between the two (and the best I think) is that frogs JUMP while toads can only CRAWL. You do of course have to have them out of the water to see this but its a good difference between the two. Not that you should fish these poor amphibians out of the water in order to see them go - don't do it.

Oh, and have a happy happy bank holiday everyone - good times.

Mr O is back back back

2010-04-23T08:47:00.004+01:00

Tonight is the night. i have just spoken to Bob who was out watching the badgers last night and they saw a whooping 4 badgers, 2 roe deer, a fox and, of course, the customary rat. Good times. Lets hope tonight is just as successful (please please please). Oh, and, in true style, Bob has been on yet another DIY spree and constructed a wee wall along the edge of his part of the Ouseburn river. More exciting than this is the fact that the Ouseburn Otter has deemed this wall mighty enough to claim for himself and has left some lovely fresh spraint to taunt us all. I fear the hunt may be back on. Who would've thought that some poo on a wall could get me so riled up. There's no plan as yet, but mark my words there will be. And hopefully, this time, it will be a successful one.

Picture of the newly filled pond at Byker too, as promised. Not as exciting as an otter or badger I know but just as important to WildPlaces. Didn't the volunteers and the firemen do a lovely job!

Now this bit is only for the most adventorous of readers ....

How do you fancy whooshing across the Tyne River on a really thin piece of wire with nothing but a harness holding you in place? Sound good. It's going to be! Northumberland and Durham Wildlife Trusts are doing a spot of fundraising and we need you to help. On September 11 2010, there will be a sponsored zipline taking place from the top the Baltic and over the Tyne. It costs £30 to register your place and then all you need to do is raise £120 sponsorship and you'll be speeding across the river like a flash of lightening. If this sounds like your kind of thing (and it should), drop me an email (kara.jackson@northwt.org.uk) and I will send you all the details to get you started. And don't worry, this Big Slide is super safe and super super fun. Even if you only do it for the reason that you will get to see Cheryl, WildPlaces project manager, nipping across the Tyne in a badger suit (and possibly me in a squirrel suit but that is still under discussion!). Thats got to be worth it, surely?!

WildPlaces on TV

2010-04-15T10:53:00.005+01:00

Lately there has been very little (or none as the case may be) blogging activity from yours truely. This is not down to laziness or lack of exciting things to say but rather down to my favourite favourite pasttime - holidaying! But now I am back and have already had a super busy week. The most exciting part of which was filming for Countryfile. WildPlaces has reached the dizzying heights of television (excluding the features on the news of course!). Please please please check out the feature on urban mammals on Countryfile on 25th April. Its going to be great. Not least because the loveable Bob will be playing a starring role. It was Bob who was my greatest aid in the hunt for the Ouseburn Otter and his garden provided the first images of this elusive creature for the project. Bob built me camera plinths, fish island and became chief spider killer while the cameras were set up at his house so I am really pleased that he got to show off his footage and his garden to Katie (the Countryfile presenter) and the rest of the film crew. It was marvellous. Since my last visit to Bob's, he has taken on the massive task of building himself a hide at the bottom of his garden (which was done in no more than three days) and what a hide it is! Fantastic. Its a perfect spot to watch the kingfisher and roe deer from and I bet you could have a lovely close up of the badgers if you were quiet enough. That garden is a marvel.

On the subject of Bob, he has offered to take me badger watching next week which I obviously said a huge fat yes to. Can you imagine, the girl that has been staking out badger setts (in the non-illegal way of course) and capturing footage of badgers for the last year might actually get to see a real live one in a weeks time. I am so excited. Its laughable really that I'm yet to spot a real badger so maybe by next Friday I will have a little more dignity to hand. We'll see. I of all people know how wildlife loves to scupper the best laid plans and it never ever plays nice, no matter how cordially you may ask.

So anyway, those are my favourite highlights of the past week or so. Ooooooh and the pond here at St Nix was absolutely jumping (literally!) the other week. The pond became a writhing mass of frolicking frogs as they all came to the surface to enjoy a bit of spring sunshine, fun and games (wink wink). The superhero WildPlaces assistant Paul has been filming their antics so I will get that on here as soon as he's done editing it.

So now for some footage ....
Thanks to Val for the use of her beautiful garden - we got some fabulous stuff

And since I will be seeing a real badger next week (fingers crossed), here is some more Geordie badgers having a great old time with only the camera watching.

Dont forget that theres always lots of footage on our YouTube and FaceBook site (www.urbanwildplaces.co.uk for links) and that we always have lots of great activities going on which you are always welcome to attend (hint hint).

HD Cams Away!

2010-03-17T11:49:00.009Z

So the HD cameras have been tested and I'm sad to say, two of them are not very well. Nevertheless that means that three of them are so I'm hopeful for the StealthCam HD future. This is some of the raw footage gathered at our testing bonanza. Hopefully there will be lots more to come including otter, red squirrel and those loveable badgers in the scary, scary woods!

So did I tell you about all the hard work that went on at Conservation Week? We built and installed an otter holt, chopped down many trees (in the name of conservation of course) and renovated a lovely pond. A great week all in all - thanks to everyone who gave up their time and came along to help! Paul made this cool video of himself and Dan constructing the recycled plastic holt. Check it out. And turn up that volume!

And here it is, installed, waiting to be covered up and just begging for an otter to visit it. The Ouseburn Otter perhaps? It might just grace us with its presence!

And this is the pond ... TA DA!!

It might not look like much at the moment but once this baby is filled up (by hunky firemen no less!!), its going to be a beaut!!

A badger up a tree - almost

2010-02-24T08:18:00.003Z

Somewhere in the misty recesses of my post holiday mind, I remember promising some new badger footage for your viewing pleasure. Now, I hope you haven't been holding your breath to see this as I know that I have taken a bit of a dawdle getting it on here. Never mind, badgers up trees in all their glory await you.

So tree climbing critters seem to be all the rage nowadays, what with the otters and the badgers, even squirrels are at it nowadays! Has all the never ending snow coupled with the prospect of being famous gone to their heads? I think its more a case of good old animal behaviour, pretty interesting none the less. Some weird animal behaviour for you to ponder ....

Robins in urban areas are now singing at night because it is too noisy during the day.

Or how about a chicken-eating cow in West Bengal. When 48 chickens went missing in a month (thats a lot of chickens for any animal, never mind a cow) from a remote West Bengal village, everyone blamed the neighborhood dogs. But the owner eventually solved the puzzle when he caught his cow gobbling up several of them at night. "We watched in horror as the calf, whom we had fondly named Lal, sneak to the coop and grab the little ones with the precision of a jungle cat." Local television pictures showed the cow grabbing and eating a chicken in seconds and a vet confirmed the case.

Or imagine sleeping on your heels like a baboon or do as some birds do and sleep with one eye open.

Its on the internet so it must be true .....

Yep, animals are pretty strange creatures with some weird and wonderful behaviour but I guess they probably think the same, if not worse, of us.

But now onto the means of capturing this wonderful wildlife. I have a new camera. 5 new cameras in fact. HD cameras. Prowler HD cameras. I've hit the big time. Sadly, I havent had time to try these cameras out (or even to buy batteries and memory cards for them) but I will. Today. As well as my excitement at having new cameras to set up (and thus new adventures to be had), a new WildPlaces Assistant, Paul, started on Monday so one has become two. Oh yeah. I now have faith that between the two of us we have the means to become a wildlife-on-film busting superpower.

I'm not sure who the fat bloke on the end is, but its not me, alright?! Just not to be done on copyright infringements, this wonderful portrait is courtesy (unbeknown to them) of ippiki.wordpress.com. SSsshhh, dont tell.

Hedge Planting and Otter Acrobatics

2010-02-12T11:49:00.006Z

Well, well, well. There certainly have been many exciting going ons in WildPlaces land these last few weeks. I ventured back into the scary woodland, I got some otter acrobatics on film and I did a little bit of wildlife hedge planting at Moorside Allotments in Fenham.

First, lets talk practical work. The other week, WildPlaces and my super helpful team of volunteers were lucky enough to be joined by Trai Anfield from the BBC and some keen conservationists in the making from Byker Primary. The weather was absolutely freezing (surprise surprise) and at one point I think we all lost feeling in our feet but the job got done, we had a good time (well I did anyway!) and we hopefully saved some wildlife while we were at it. Or to be more precise, we enhanced the habitat and reduced fragmentation for future generations of wildlife. Grow little hedge. Grow with all your might.

Good times. Next up, I'm going all out on an entire week of conservation (aptly named Conservation Week) to take place at the Ouseburn Farm in Newcastle. Check out the website (www.urbanwildplaces.co.uk in case you forgot) and come along and help out if you fancy it. You may become famous like me and the gang at Moorside who were featured on Look North (if you can call 10 seconds a feature!) and in the Go Green supplement in The Chronicle. Check us out. Celebrities in the making.

So, next to the scary woodland. This time, I didnt get lost and I didnt get scared but I did get some cool badger footage. So as not to spoil you, you can see that footage in my next update. I can't have you lot expecting 3 lots of pictures/film in every post. Sorry.

But you can see my little acrobatic otter if you like. I set up my trusty stealth cams on the Derwenthaugh pontoon again but this time it was on the opposite side to where I normally site it. At last, the otter climbed up the ladder and I caught it on film. I have been pursuing this show of agility for ages and am very very happy that it is now in my possession. Maybe its not as exciting as it could be (no baton twirling or somersaults) but I do still think its pretty cute. Hope you do too.

Otter up a tree.

2010-01-25T17:18:00.011Z

Did you see the photo of an otter up a tree at WWT Slimbridge? Although this is not a new phenomenon its still pretty awesome. Otters never cease to amaze me - is there anything they can't do? This pic is from The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6994410.ece) and really made my day when it was showed to me. Guess I really am setting up my cameras in the wrong place! Next time I have tales of tall trees to tell, it won't be red squirrels that I was after. Oh no no no.

Oh. And I think the Ouseburn Otter has found a rival to his cheekiness down in Middlesborough. One of my WildPlaces colleagues, Kenny, got some crazy footage of an otter sauntering nonchalantly towards the camera, sticking out its tongue (can you believe the audacity) and then walking away. A real up yours in an otter kind of way.

Kenny, I hope you don't mind that I have put the video up - its really too special not to be shared! What a cheeky little blighter! Check out Kenny's blog (http://wildplacesteesvalley.blogspot.com/) for more cool footage from the WildPlaces team - that way I dont have to steal his to put on here cause you would already have seen it.

And in other news, I had some pretty rambunctious (I don't think thats a made up word) badgers on my hands. I went in search of a particular badger sett in a particular wood all on my lonesome last week. Never mind that I have visited this sett a few times with Barry, my trusty Northumberland Navigator. I can visit a place 100 times and still get lost if I'm the one finding the way. So yeah. There I was. Alone. In the woods. Teetering on the edge of the ravine. It didnt help that it was stupid o clock in the morning (and in this wonderful climate morning = pitch black at the moment). I admit I was scared. Especially as I had already seen this footage from cameras set up on a previous visit.

You don't want to be caught unawares by these sharp-clawed monsters (badgers are lovely really - that was just for dramatic effect). But needless to say, I was just being a wimp. I made it out alive, didnt even catch a whiff of badger although I saw some badger poo with a skull in it. Hmmm what a rubbish story. Lost in the woods and not a wound or a close encounter to speak off. Sorry about that. But at least I live another day to bring you tales of urban mammals in the North East. Don't even think it, I know you would rather I had been attacked and had something exciting to say.

A new years resolution

2010-01-13T08:37:00.005Z

Another new year and boy has it started with a bang! Snow fuelled chaos has been the highlight of the year so far for many but never fear, apart from snowball fights and Frosty the snowman, the white stuff is pretty handy. Mammals cannot hide. Unless they develop a slick method of floating, you are pretty much guaranteed to see footprints wherever an animal has been. Bonus for me. I have been able to see the Ouseburn Otter's every move and while I still can't find him (typical Ouseburn Otter style), I do know a little bit more about his movements, with hardly any extra effort! However, my new years resolution for 2010 is to be a little more forgiving of Mr O. I am currently reading a book called The Otter in Britain (a lovely present from the legendary Bob Wilkin) and it has definitely given me an insight into why the otter is just so darn camera shy. Never mind the ye olde english style of writing, this poem by William Somerville (called The Chace and written way back in 1735) shows just how persecuted this poor critter has been for a long, long time. I too, would have developed a crafty instinct had a poem like this been written about me. Here we go. It gets quite gory - you have been warned.

On the soft sand
See there his seal impress'd! And on that bank
Behold the glittering spoils, half-eaten fish,
Scales, fins and bones, the leavings of his feast.
Ah! On that yielding sag-bed, see, once more
His seal I view. O'er yon dark rushy marsh
The sly goose-footed prowler bends his course,
And seeks distant shallows.

See, there he drives along!
The ascending bubbles mark his gloomy way.
Quick fix the nets, and cut off his retreat
Into the shelt'ring deeps. Ah, there he vents!
The pack plunge headlong, and protended spears
Menace destruction.

Ah, there once more he vents!
See, that blood hound has seiz'd him: down they sink,
Together lost: but soon shall be repent
His rash assault. See there escap'd, he flies
Half drown'd, and clambers up the slipp'ry bank
With ooze and blood distain'd. Again he vents:
Again the crowd attack. That spear has pierc'd
His neck; the crimson waves confess the wound.
Fix'd is the bearded lance, unwelcome guest,
Where're he flies; with him it sinks beneath,
With him it mounts; sure guide to ev'ry foe.
Inly he groans, nor can his tender wound
Bear the cold stream. Lo! to yon sedgy bank
He creeps disconsolate; his numerous foes
Surround him, hounds and men. Pierc'd through and through
On pointed spears they lift him high in air;
Wriggling he hangs, and grins and bites in vain.

So there you have it. But lets turn to the Haugh otter now. I don't think his ancestors were ever hunted, even back then I reckon they were tough, used to laugh at the dogs if they ever tried to come near them. In fact, the book gives a few accounts of otters actually being 'one of the dogs', trained to run alongside what should be their enemies. One particular pack of dogs even refused to hunt wild otters when their otter-mate was with them. I mean get a load of this bad boy. I certainly wouldn't mess with him!

Possibly the greatest ear tufts in the world!

2009-12-16T16:58:00.004Z

I have given up on the hunt of the Ouseburn Otter for now. As it's the season of goodwill and all (any excuse will do), I thought I would give him a break from my relentless tirade against him. Instead I am going after those reds. They're small and furry and cute and, most importantly, hungry. What better way to get footage of a hungry nutaholic than set up camp next to the squirrel feeders at Plessey Woods Country Park. Like the cameras or not, squirrels must eat and a feeder presents a super easy meal (ticket) for all. And things have actually worked out for me on this one.

For once, I have no stories of falling in rivers, getting battered by conkers or being eluded by otters. Just good 'ole footage, which, at the end of the day, is all I really ask for. The frozen toes and lumpy head are just the perks of the job.

But my favourite squirrel shot has got to be this next one. If Carlsberg made squirrel tufts, then this little champ is definitely sporting them. The tufts, my friend, really are blowing in the wind.

A crimi-otter has been caught!

2009-12-02T09:45:00.013Z

Breaking News. Breaking News. Breaking News. Breaking News.

The rain has stopped and he has been apprehended. The scoundrel of the Ouseburn has been caught on film!

Who gets the reward? I do. Oh yes. Fame, glory and satisfaction are mine all mine.

I know I said that I would settle for a photograph rather than a film of the Ugly Mug of the river but I can't help but feel slightly cheated. What I can't understand is why the camera under the bridge (the filming sort) didn't trigger when you can blatantly see the little critter in front of it. Black otter magic has dealt its cunning card once again. I must admit that I did get a couple of tail shots and one in which the otter sped by in super quick motion but I was so enraged with the unfairness of it all that I swiftly deleted the shots (only to be consumed by regret seconds later - I blame Ugly Mug of course). So yes, I have three photos of the Ouseburn Otter and I should be grateful. But I'm not.

See the camera? Can you see the camera? So annoying. So very annoying. At least the Reconyx RapidFire did it's job right at least once (good camera by the way, the otter is just crafty). This isn't the end of it by any means. I still have the underwater camera to fall back on and I still have a heck of a big stubborn streak.

One in a Million

2009-11-27T10:30:00.009Z

Did I ever tell you about my amazing wildlife filming experience? One that didn't involve otters or falling into a smelly river? Well, I was lucky enough to go on a Wildlife Filming Course in Bristol last weekend and rub shoulders with the creme de la creme of those in the industry. I got to meet, work with and be tutored by the likes of John Waters, Sarah Pitt and Rob Harrington. For those of you not in the know (oh what an expert I have become!), these guys are good. Really really really good. For example, John's amazing camera work appears on David Attenborough's Planet Earth and the Life Of Birds while producer Sarah Pitt spent a year filming on the Prince of Wales' estate in Gloucestershire. But enough with the gushing. Lets get down to filming business!

Besides staying on a gorgeous 250 acre reserve and feasting on organic food at Folly Farm (owned by the Avon Wildlife Trust) I got to make a real-life wildlife film. Over two days we filmed thousands of starlings swarming on the Somerset Levels and the wildfowl on Chew Valley Lake. We then had the ominous task of editing our footage into a 3 minute film. Sounds easy. Trust me it wasn't. It took us 6 hours to edit about four hours of footage and even then, we could have done with a lot longer (and we had an expert with us!). And don't even get me started on the cameras. They were amazing. Amazingly expensive. Although I don't think WildPlaces will be blowing it's budget on one camera, it was really great to be able to use such a high tech, high definition camera (not that I don't love using the cameras that I already have). I had serious camera envy all weekend. Oh what a geek I'm turning into!

So folks, crank up the volume (it's a 'mood piece' with lovely classical music don't you know!) and enjoy my debut into the wildlife filmmaking world - One in a Million.

My film will appear here once I figure out (or more likely David figures out!) how to get it on here. The delay will be worth the wait though (maybe).

Heres the rough and tough Derwenthaugh otters (looking surprisingly cute - I love the paw tapping action) to whet your appetite.

Guess the Ouseburn Otter didn't get to them after all, or maybe they just missed the comfort of their floating pontoon too much to care. Either way, I got the footage, so I'm happy.

So yes, that weekend was great. I learnt all about the process of film making from conception to completion (the cliches are just rolling off my tongue here), I got to see the spectacle of starlings flocking and I got inspired to buy a tripod. A good weekend all in all.

A cohort of otters perhaps?

2009-11-16T11:42:00.006Z

Is it possible to have an otter cohort? The Hell's Angels of the otter world united with the Ugly Mug (my new, and much deserved, name for Mr O)? The Derwenthaugh otters have been superb so far, climbing ladders, showing off their battle scars, really playing up for the cameras. Not anymore. On checking the cameras on Friday the only footage I had was of the cadets and a very lonely pontoon which made me feel quite seasick (the pontoon moving, not the cadets). Now, I know that this isn't the most thrilling footage you have ever seen but you must understand what I am up against (plus I thought the sky looked quite nice). Its slim pickings in the wildlife world at the moment, especially when the Ouseburn Otter has such far reaching clutches as this.

And it has started to rain. Something feels familiar here. No otters and lots of rain. At least I have already removed the cameras from the riverbanks so there will be no repeat of river falling-in and soggy waders. Hooray.

Lets now go somewhere where life is peaceful. The squirrel feeder. This is the kind of animal activity that I like. Put the cameras up and they will come (bribed by food of course). This footage was taken in Plessey Woods in Northumberland - one of the remaining strongholds of red squirrels. By the end of next week, I will hopefully have lots more red squirrel footage. Lets just hope that the otters haven't got to them too.

By the way, the minute the rain stops (hmmm, looks like that might be now) the cameras are going back on the riverbanks and the otter is getting cap - tured.

An ugly mug?

2009-10-29T13:59:00.007Z

Turns out my big idea of photo and video didn't turn out quite as I hoped. So now I am sitting here, contemplating. On the meaning of the Ouseburn Otter. Time to resurrect the idea of the underwater camera? Time to admit to defeat and move onto more accommodating wildlife? I can't. I will not allow an otter to outsmart me. Even one as genetically enhanced as this one. What to do.

Wha - at to do.

Lets turn to the Derwent Haugh for a minute. Now there's a success story. Almost. I have got some great footage of these Tyne otters and my cameras have got some big love from them. But what about the gymnastic manoeuvres? The ladders are proving invaluable for slipping back into the water but how are they getting onto the pontoon in the first place? Probably the ladders (yes, yes I know) but wouldn't it be great if there was some torpedo otter action going on in the early hours of the morning? And I managed to film it? David Attenborough eat your heart out! Here's what I've got so far ....

Now these are the Hells Angels of the otter world. No meagre tributaries for these guys. They cruise the Tyne. The mother of the Newcastle rivers. The dividing line. They are big, mean fighting machines. Just look at those scars. The utter fearlessness. The sheer disdain. The Ouseburn Otter is a wimp. Not cunning. Not conniving. Not clever. Just plain scared. Or ugly. Why else would it be avoiding the cameras at all costs.

Well, I feel better already. Re-inspired. Lets get rolling and get that ugly mug on film.

One last trick up my sleeve

2009-10-13T08:43:00.006+01:00

So I braved checking the cameras at last and (I bet you can guess whats coming), I found a lovely selection of otter bum. Time to bring out the big guns. I have a trick up my sleeve. Oh yes, I do. This trick is more commonly known (to the camera aficionado) as the Reconyx Rapid Fire High Output Covert Colour IR RC60HO. It doesn't miss a thing. Up until now, I have put off using this particular camera in my hunt for the otter as it takes only photographs and since I was desperate for video footage of the Ouseburn Otter, I didn't think it was worth putting it out. I also didn't think that getting said footage would be so darn difficult! I have become so beaten down by this otter, that I will now settle for a mere photograph! There will of course still be a video-taking camera rolling in the background as I'm not one to miss an opportunity and what better way to stick it to the Ouseburn Otter than to get a video AND a picture of him. I can't wait.

Thanks to those of you who have emailed in asking about the Ouseburn Otter and promising to keep an eye out for him - I guess braving the conker fall-out was worth it after all. I'm expecting big things.

In other camera news, I have been filming an acrobatic hedgehog in Fenham who has shown a lot more willing than the Ouseburn Otter. It is a bit of a bully (and a little dim it must be said) and seems to love the limelight (shoving those out of the way that dare to take his place) - the perfect candidate for a WildPlaces star in the making. I'm already looking forward to the Spring when DaveCam will be back up, hopefully catching the bully's offspring in action.

Along the Derwent Haugh, cameras are also lurking, poised to capture the antics of a few cheeky otters using a pontoon as their plaything. The pontoon is quite high up off the water (in otter terms that is) so I'm expecting some pretty spectacular otter gymnastics - who knew an otter could climb a ladder, or possibly shoot straight up and out of the water (like a seal, so I guess thats not entirely out of the question) or maybe they are using each other as a live otter ladder. Who knows. I can't wait to find out though.

Fingers crossed that this last trick up my sleeve will prove to be just what the otter ordered and I will have the naughty, naughty critter on film once and for all.

A Dangerous Game

2009-09-28T16:53:00.010+01:00

Hunting the Ouseburn Otter has become a dangerous game. In an effort to catch the little critter once and for all, I have been out and about putting up Wanted posters along the Ouseburn River and in a few pubs in the Ouseburn Valley. I have realised that getting this little guy on film is not a one man (or woman) mission. It requires hundreds of vigilant eyes (those are your eyes), mobile phones at the ready (those are your phones), poised to catch him unawares as he dodges yet another of the cameras (unfortunately mine). Well he can't dodge all of the cameras, all of the time, especially if they are disguised in something as innocuous as a mobile phone. Oh I think we might just be closing in.

Anyway, you may be asking yourself why this hunt has become such a dangerous game all of a sudden. Surely braving a golf course and some pretty bad golfers, not to mention getting wet feet, is danger enough? For some. Yes. For me. Of course not. Nature has taken the side of the otter. What I thought would be a seemingly pleasant walk along the Ouseburn this afternoon soon turned into a scene not dissimilar to a war film. Imagine bullets raining down on you but instead of bullets, think conkers. Solid, rock hard conkers. On my head. Yes, I did come back with my arms and legs intact and no shrapnel in sight but I could have done with a great big combat-style helmet to protect me from those conkers 'falling' (oh so innocently) with a vengeance. The hunt for the Ouseburn Otter can be tough indeed. Oh and to add insult to injury, my esteemed colleague Kevin O'Hara (otter spotter extraordinaire) actually SAW the Ouseburn Otter at the end of last week (no camera to hand - surprise surprise. This otter knows its stuff). I'm almost too scared to check the footage. I don't think I will be able to handle another wily otter dodge this month!

The otters in the pictures are the more well behaved cousins of the Ouseburn Otter, currently residing at Gosforth Park and Big Waters respectively. This is what you are looking for (only more sneaky and less accommodating)!

Where has all the otter action gone?

2009-09-23T08:56:00.006+01:00

While there is no otter action going on, I thought I would amuse you all with some pictures of the smallest space under the smallest bridge in the world. Now I realise that the space doesn't look all that small but trust me, it is. And can you see the dark cavernous bit stretching up into the distance? Thats the bit I have to get under. This first action of crawling under is child's play. See my shiny white trainers I have on? Not anymore. Minutes after I grabbed hold of the camera, it decided to take a tumble - plinth and all. That meant I too had to tumble - straight into my old nemesis the dirty Ouseburn river (just to clarify, the Ouseburn is not dirty as far as rivers go, just as far as new trainers in rivers do). So now I have no otter pictures and dirty trainers but I did get footage of a fox (again). Exciting stuff really. I really do feel like I'm winning this battle as the Ouseburn Otter is running out of tricks. I feel like everything he can possibly to do outwit me, he's already done. Next week is the week. Just you wait Mr O.

A Bum Deal

2009-09-17T14:24:00.006+01:00

This is no longer funny. Yes, I will admit that I believe the Ouseburn Otter is some sort of super-species with a more wiley mind than most and yes, I will admit that I believe much of what the otter has been doing has been in a specific attempt to wind me up. But for an otter to know how a camera works and how much of itself will be caught in the frame? Surely not. Surely this entire fiasco of otter cleverness and deception has been at least partly driven by the Ouseburn Otter's natural behaviour? I'm not so sure anymore. The Ouseburn Otter has certainly shown me, in no uncertain terms, just what he thinks of the WildPlaces project. Not a lot as it happens.

I honestly can't believe this little guy. Would it have been so hard to turn around and smile for the camera. Just once. Instead I get a wonderful shot of an otter bum and the little present he decided to leave behind. Did you see it steam?! Thanks Mr O. To make matters worse, in a fit of cleverness, I set up a camera on the opposite river bank, giving me a fantastic wide angle view - sure to catch any action going on on the mound. Not so. There is some serious otter sorcery going on under this bridge. The camera got some lovely recordings of rats (way smaller than an otter) but just happened to allow a big fat otter wander by undetected. An unlikey partnership between otter and camera has evolved.

Time to step up the game. Keep an eye out for Wanted posters along the Ouseburn River and pubs calling for the Ouseburn Otter's blood (not literally - but oh how I've thought about it!). He must be captured (on film). He must be shot (on camera). Help me out. Please.

Clever Otter

2009-09-04T08:57:00.005+01:00

I should have known it would not be a good day when howling wind and lashes of rain greeted me on the golf course this morning. I was just so sure that the Ouseburn Otter would be captured on film, that I could finally put this mission to rest and find some other urban mammals to inconvenience with my cameras. How wrong was I? Pretty wrong. Pre-etty wrong. Things were looking good when I crawled into the tiny space under the bridge. For one, the camera was still there but (and this is exciting) there was also a mountain of fresh spraint - a sure sign that I'd got the little critter on film. So I rushed back to the Trust, chanting "GOTCHA!" all the while and looking like a right loony to the other drivers. This is all I got. Now I know I've never seen the Ouseburn Otter fully and clearly on film but I think it's safe to say that this aint him!

Yep, just the badger and the fox that I already knew was on there. And to top it all off, the time and date on the camera has a mind of its own - I promise that this isn't from 2008 (when I had absolutely no idea of the torment the Ouseburn Otter would cause). But my real mistake? A simple schoolboy error that Iwill be kicking myself for many weeks (well, lets be realistic - months, maybe years) to come - I let the batteries run out and the Ouseburn Otter ran in, undetected. Again. Clever, clever otter. Silly, silly me.

My New Camera Adventures

2009-08-28T15:38:00.003+01:00

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

2009-08-21T13:25:00.006+01:00

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...

2009-08-14T15:22:00.006+01:00

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!

2009-08-11T14:51:00.005+01:00

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

2009-08-06T08:57:00.006+01:00

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!

Fish Island

2009-07-29T13:40:00.008+01:00

In the latest quest to get the Ouseburn Otter to 'perform' in front of the cameras, Bob has built himself a fish island. That is, a mini island in the middle of the Ouseburn river to which Bob has pegged a large and rather delicious piece of fish. The idea is that the Ouseburn Otter will pass this island on one of his jaunts down the river and not be able to resist the lure of a free and very large meal. As discussed before, this large and prominent structure in the middle of the river should also prove irresistible to him (the otter not Bob), thus causing him to pose and frolick on said island, right in front of the cameras. I doubt the Ouseburn has ever offered something this good!

So far (one night), all that Fish Island has been able to attract is rats. So, on the learning side of things, who knows the difference between a rat and a watervole? Well, a water vole has small hidden ears while the rat (as seen in the video) has big ears - pretty easy to spot really. Water voles also have blunt noses (as opposed to a rats pointy one) and a shorter, furry tail (i'm sure you've all seen a rat in a petshop which has a long, pink, scaly tail). Less obvious differences include a water vole's fur which is silky and midbrown (a wild rat's is more grey) and on jumping into the water, a watervole makes a distinctive 'plop' sound. Why is this important? Well, water voles have disappeared from almost 90 per cent of the sites they occupied in the UK in the last 60 years, a fact which we can all do something about. Although American mink can largely be blamed for this decline, so can human interference - water voles are commonly mistaken for rats (hence the ID lesson above) and are prosecuted because of this. We have also had a lot to do with the destruction of their habitat and pollution of waterways, not making it easy for those water voles clever enough to outsmart the mink to survive. Lesson over but please try to remember these differences and think before you carry out any kind of 'pest control' near waterways.

The rain has (once again) set in so I think I'm going to have to pull on the old waders and the waterproof coat (once again) and go and rescue my cameras (once again). I can't bear the thought of Bob falling over that prickly, prickly hedge and heading downstream all for the sake of my cameras!

PS I hope that with your (perhaps) newfound knowledge you spotted the picture above is of a watervole and NOT a rat!

The Ouseburn Otter Strikes Again!

2009-07-27T12:44:00.004+01:00

The entire week that I have been away (York, since you ask), I have been dreaming of otters - hundreds of otters frolicking in the 'Burn while I captured all of their wonderful antics on camera, thousands of otters blowing fishy kisses at me, millions of otters clambering through Bob's vegetable patch in a decidedly unotter-like fashion. However, the night that I dreamed the Ouseburn Otter had turned into a human being and bit me was the night I finally knew that he/she/it (?!) was getting to me in a way that no fish eating, aquatic mammal should. It was definitely time to bring on the dum dum dum ... Stealth Trail Camera 500. Okay, so I added the 500 for effect but I still think it sounds like a pretty impressive piece of equipment. So my plan hasn't really changed since last week, all I need to do is pick up the Stealth Trail cameras from Rainton Meadows in Durham and film the fur off the Ouseburn Otter. I will be putting this into effect as of tomorrow morning. Today however, I had a rather nice surprise. Bob has been looking after the cameras for me while I have been away, diligently checking the footage every morning and saving anything that could be of interest. Unfortunately, sometime during the week the rain came down with a vengeance, prompting the Environment Agency to issue a flood warning and Bob to lean over a very prickly hedge in a very precarious position and fish the cameras out of the river. Yes, the cameras were saved from suffering the same fate as the Moultrie but the Ouseburn Otter was saved from being captured on film. Again. No worries, despondent after hearing this story, my day soon brightened when I found a real little gem of a clip from last night. I finally have the Ouseburn Otter on film!! No ripples or bow waves while he lurks beneath the water and no spider legs and moth wings to shelter the him from the limelight (Bob has handily placed a can of insect spray in his shed, the hub of the quest for the Ouseburn Otter, and labelled it "only to be used on spiders, moths etc that fancy being film stars"). Brilliant or what?! So yes, the elusive Ouseburn Otter has finally been captured on film, in full view (something which the Stealth Cam should hopefully elaborate on) and the comment most made by those that see him - "Ooooh, isn't that a small one?"

Why badgers are better ...

2009-07-16T11:12:00.007+01:00

I have devised a plan to catch the Ouseburn Otter on film - no spider legs or sneaky underwater moves included! I will need 1 x bridge with prominent outcrop that the otter can't resist, 1 x super duper otter seeking infrared camera, 1 x relatively safe (and dry!) spot under said bridge and, most importantly, 1 x unsuspecting Ouseburn Otter. I think this master plan might just work. I have found the bridge with dry spot and prominent outcrop (thanks Bob), the camera is on its way as I type (thanks Cheryl) and the otter is unsuspecting (no thanks to the otter there!). A few days ago myself and Bob (who has the Ouseburn Otter frequenting the bottom of his garden) went on a bridge inspecting frenzy. We came up triumphant. Admittedly this bridge is in the same area that flood waters destroyed the Moultrie but it is far superior. Unless it rains for the biblical 40 days and 40 nights, I am almost certain that my camera will be safe. The 'prominent outcrop' that I keep mentioning is particularly important as it provides an irresistible spot for the Ouseburn Otter to spraint, which it already has on several occassions. For those not in the know, spraint is what we commonly call poo but it is so much more than that! Aside from the usual marking of territory, otter spraint lets other otters know about gender, social status - for example if a male is resident in his home range or is just visiting - or if female, whether the otter is ready to mate. In other words, spraint is a really important tool in otter communication and lets other otters know who has been where and how they are doing. Another interesting fact about spraint is that it actually smells quite pleasant! Jasmine tea, mown grass and honey are some of the words used to describe the smell. Anyway, enough about poo!

So yes, the scene is set and the camera will be put in place sometime next week - keep your fingers crossed that the Ouseburn Otter will finally be captured on camera with no water to hide itself and no spiders ruining my shots!

So now I come to why badgers are better. In a nutshell, all this ranting and plan devising above is precisely why I think badgers are better. They stick to the same paths, they squeeze under the same fence nearly every night, a few scattered peanuts and they're yours!! I don't mean to generalise and suggest that all badgers are this easy to win over but this has been my experience so far - much more predicatable than otters! And you would never catch a badger submerging itself in a river and swimming gaily out of sight.

Tragedy has struck!!

2009-07-14T14:44:00.004+01:00

In my never ending efforts to capture footage of the otter swimming down the Ouseburn, I set up one of our WildPlaces Moultrie motion activated cameras underneath a bridge on a golf course in Newcastle upon Tyne. The very weekend that I found this brilliant spot, it decided to rain. And rain. And rain. Cue me, on a very early Monday morning, up to my waist in muddy river water trying to rescue the camera. I shouldn't have bothered! The only sign of life was a very determined laser beam shining out of the camera and a final, blurred picture of the water rising over the camera. Muddy river water dripped from every possible crevice. A thorough drying out did no good either. As David, a fellow WildPlaces Officer pointed out "Once the circuit board has been submerged, there's no hope!" So, needless to say, the fast-becoming notorious Ouseburn Otter has evaded me again! My spirits were (briefly) lifted this morning when an otter swam into view of one of my more safely placed cameras on the banks of the Ouseburn. But, as I am fast learning, nothing is ever simple in the world of filming otters! A huge spider leg and a moth obscured the view of the otter playing right in front of the cameras (check this out below). And true to form, at 4am this morning as the otter made his way back home, it cunningly swam under the water, leaving me with only a few ripples and the distinct sound of an otter laughing .....

The photo above (by BBC Tyne) is to give me hope, reminding me of happier times when flooding did not concern me or my cameras and the Ouseburn Otter was captured, albeit under the shadow of a spider, on film. This camera still survives on the banks of the Ouseburn, watching and waiting. RIP Moultrie.

Amazing wildlife is closer than you think ...

2009-07-10T11:34:00.008+01:00

We have now been working on WildPlaces for just over 3 months and have filmed some amazing images of wildlife in the North East. I hope you have been checking out the footage that WildPlaces has captured so far on FaceBook , YouTube and Flickr - they are brilliant, if I say so myself!! Seriously though, I promise you will be surprised at the huge variety of wildlife that urban areas in the North East have to offer, from badgers crawling under fences to kingfishers diving for stickleback in the Ouseburn and otters stealing koi carp out of garden ponds - all on the cities doorstep! So far we have captured footage of badger, fox, otter, kingfisher, bats, hedgehog, heron, roe deer and rabbit. While all wild animals are rather shy and not always easy to film, I have had particular trouble catching notoriously elusive otters on film. Nevertheless, we are getting some great footage but can always do with your help. If you think that you can do better and have some great pictures or films of wildlife that you would like to share then please get in touch (http://www.urbanwildplaces.co.uk to find out more), we need to share the wonders of North East wildlife with everyone!

I have included a few clips of the footage so far and am looking forward to all your comments and fabulous photos!

Welcome to WildPlaces

2009-06-22T14:44:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone and welcome to WildPlaces, the Springwatch of the North East!!!

The WildPlaces team are out and about in our region initially focusing on urban mammals. We aim to photograph and film these amazing animals in their natural habitats - with your help!

Get involved.....

Manage the cameras and equipment
Tell us if you know of any areas with urban mammals
Help us in practical habitat conservation
Send us your own local wildlife photos

We look forward to hearing from you :)

Photograph of a badger in the Durham area by S. Charlton