Otter up a tree.

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.