Looking for Otters and Oystercatcher film

Today has been a cold and uncomfortable day for me. While out shopping last week, I got into conversation with a chap who told me that near his home, every morning, he saw the Otters that live on the river, more specifically a female and pup. So I took him up on the offer of him showing me the location.

As promised, the potential viewing point would be perfect, and the signs looked as though the Otters were indeed using the spot very regularly. Therefore I set up the camera and started what turned out to be a long wait. My position, laying on my belly meant that I presented no silhouette and with the wind more or less in my face, I was expectant.

As expected the ground was damp and as showers are a feature of April, I soon became saturated. I waited, but not a sign of the Otters did I see. Once it was two hours past the latest time that the Otters had ever been seen, I decided to withdraw. As I emerged from my vantage point, I realised that my guide had been standing there most of the time and in full view of any wildlife. He told me that he couldn't understand it as the otters had been there every day, until the weekend. It was then that he reviled that he had taken a large party down to the river, and while they had seen them briefly they had not stayed.

I explained that it was likely that he and his friends had probably frightened them off. While disappointing, at least I know where the otters have been recently and I may see them at a latter time.

Well, while that was disappointing I did get something done today. I opened an account on U Tube and I posted one of my videos on there. But so as my loyal reader here doesn't miss out here it is for your delectation.

Oystercatcher

There are some days when everything just seems to go right. Today was one of those days. As I have been spending so many nights in the wood lately, I overslept this morning. I had wanted to be up and out before the sun rose, but that wasn't to be today. This lack of beauty sleep goes a long way to explaining many things.

Therefore I changed my plan a little bit as I was hoping to go to a particular location to film the Deer. As I knew that I would have already missed them, I went to another location, a large local pond that is a nature reserve and home to many water and wading birds.
The hide here is a good one but as there are no windows on entering I need to open one of the flap to allow light in. Normally the sound of this disturbs any birds or wildlife near the hide. Today however it did not and just on the small island in front of the hide was a pair of Oystercatcher.

Now to have them this close is rare, so I as quickly as I could prepared the camera. I worked quietly, with the emphasise on remaining quite as if I rushed and made any noise I would loose the opportunity.

I was surprised that they stayed and I got my day off with about five or six minutes of film of them. I stayed for some time and shot another half an hour or so of film of various birds. Including Tufted Duck, Canada Geese and Coots.

Well I reached the point where I could not get anything else so I decided to head off elsewhere. Now as my regular reader knows that I am more than a bit of an odd ball, and I am aware that I do some things, some activities, that most people think eccentric. Therefore as I walked to my second location of the day, I stopped to count the molehills along the way. While doing this I had not one but two passing cars stop to ask what I was doing. I told them counting Molehills, that generated some strange looks.

As I was approaching my second location I stopped and filmed a Robin that was singing away at his hearts content to attract his mate. I got a nice long sequence of him until he decided he liked the sound of the reply he was getting.

I settled down again and while I got many of the frustratingly short film of many of the tits who fly off at the sight of a camera, unless its David Attenborough we don't want to know!
However I got some nice footage of the yellowhammers, who look fantastic in their breading plumage.

All in all a great day, then on the bus I saw five kites four males one female doing their courtship display. I want to bottle this day and keep it forever.