Thank-you WildPlaces!

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!!

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.