We've seen several otters along this section of the Ormsaigbeg shoreline in the last few weeks so, with a beautiful day in store, we spent a couple of hours wandering along it hoping that we'd be in luck. We saw curlew, oystercatcher, rock pippit, grey heron, shag and several types of gull, and then....
....some two hundred metres away, the characteristic head and V-shaped wake of an otter. He was obviously carrying something in his mouth but that didn't prevent him diving so, each time he went down, we worked our way out along a jut of rock so we were almost in his path. Then we stood very still, waiting.
He came out onto the rocks right in front of us, no more than ten metres away, and immediately started on his meal, a large crab which he crunched with relish, his jaws working so fast that most of the pictures are blurred.
His meal finished he stopped for a few moments and looked directly at us, as if to say that he'd known we were there all the time. Then he turned and slipped back into the water.
Brilliant photos - well done Jon!
ReplyDeleteFantastic whiskers!
ReplyDeletewhat fantastic photos
ReplyDeleteOh wow, how lucky. I was walking our dogs on our usual route, and an otter came running TOWARDS us and then disappeared under the road. I go past this place every day, and have never seen it since, although a family living closer say there is an otter family there! Julie (South Uist)
ReplyDeleteGreat Photos, these are the moments that put you in touch the wonders of nature.
ReplyDeleteYou live in such a special place although sometimes it may not seem that way!