A new years resolution

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!

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!

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

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?

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?

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

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.