A Family of Otters Enjoy Our Lake
Photos: 28 November 2024
Text: 22 May 2025
It was a little early, for me, but I drew the curtains a little before 08:00 to see an otter in the lake below me. I managed to get one photograph of it before it swam round the decking and on out of sight behind the cottages.
The early picture I took of the otter from our bedroom window, as it swam under the willow towards the duck house and was about to disappear from view behind the cottages next door.
I had assumed that would be the last I saw of the otter, but after breakfast we now saw what was obviously more than one, so I took my camera and went to explore the grounds.
It was 09:25 when I arrived on the main island and taken the path on the west side of the island. A rustle ahead of me saw an otter take to the water to swim across to the peninsula, part of the area of communal land leased to the cottage owners.
I managed to get a close up of it as it swam to the other side.
I was taken by surprise to see a number of otters emerge from the water. I can only make out one young in this picture but there were two.
A minute later, at 09:26, I had proof that there were two pups on the peninsula.
I was just too late to catch one of the otters disappear under the water as it returned to the lake.
At this point the other adult otter, presumably the dog, came into view.
Meanwhile, on the bank one of the otters, I think this is one of the youngsters, was taking the opportunity to take a bite out of the fish that the mother had left behind.
With all the otters back in the water I then withdrew from the island and followed the path all the way round, taking this panorama image on the way. I took the path nearer the dyke, to try and stay out of sight of the otters, which were still in the lake but now on the western side of the peninsula. As I approached the junction where the dyke side path returns to join the one following the side of the lake I was surprised to see the two pups emerge from the lake.
Now beside the dyke to the north of the grounds, I found the two pups around eight feet directly ahead of me, seemingly intrigued by my presence and not knowing how to react.
Instinct appeared to overcome them and they both hopped over the plank forming the path edging and disappeared into the duckweed coated water.
At this point I thought it prudent to retreat and allow the adults to find their young, so I returned to the house to see how many of the photographs I had taken were worthy of display on the site.
