My walk along thre brook this morning couldn't have been more fruitful as far as Otters are concerned. I had been on the brook for literally only 30 seconds when I discovered a brand new sprainting site. It was along the bank in an area that I rarely walk as it is on the opposite side to my usual path. I took photos and measurements.

New Site …….. Site 1.

This site is close to a regularly walked path and as the water level receded the muddy, sandy bank became exposed and this is where the otter, which I believe to be a female with a cub, chose to mark.

Spraint at site 1.

This photo shows marks made by pads and 'spraint" left on a mud pile scraped in to that shape by the otter.

Pad at Site 1.

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 I believe this to be the pad of a female as it appears to be under 6cm wide. It is also a hind pad.
 

 Down at the bridge where yesterday I had seen my first spraint and the tracks leading back and forth, there was more activity. Two more mounds and lots of tracks on one side. 

And opposite, this is where I had seen a mound and spraint yesterday. There was more evidence of more activity overnight.

On this shot, you can see clearly where the otter has scraped with its claws, a mound has been formed on the slope just out of the water on the sloping muddy bank.

This print left in the mud under the bridge is about as clear as you could possibly get. It shows a right hind foot. You can clearly see the heal, the bottom of the foot and 5 clearly marked toes as well as nails.

………………. and here is proof of a cub. These prints are significantly smaller than the others and if you compare them to the Little Egret tracks you can make your own assumption as to the size of the otter that made them.

At the ramp there was three different mounds and spraint, I can't be sure if they were made by the same animal or not but they were all created during the previous 8 hours.

What really excited me was seemingly two different sets of tracks, or perhaps even three with some very small tracks, obviously a cub. In all I found 8…….. yes 8 different sprainting sites in an area of less than half a mile.