Otter December 2016 from Charles Fleming on Vimeo.

I have been trying for the last 3 weeks – and off and on for the last 10 years –   to get some video and stills of otters close by here in Exeter with very little success except once about 7 years ago and you can see that video on the blog above on the main page.  They are elusive of course but it's not hard at all to find signs of them if you know what to look for. I always look and am a bit obsessed. I have conversations with people constantly who tell me that they have seen an otter whilst out walking the dog etc and I even met someone the other day who told me that he sees them almost every day that he goes out, probably a massive exaggeration but he must have seen them now and then I am sure.  I look constantly and never have success.  So imagine my absolute delight this morning, when I returned to the trail camera that I have been leaving out, to see tracks in the mud right in front of the camera.  I immediately checked the files and was thrilled to finally see that I had some success, albeit not long or necessarily good quality but good enough to see that an otter had come to the camera just before 7 last night, sniffed the camera and then departed as quickly as it could.  Onwards and upwards as they say because I am confident of recording more as the weeks go by. It is frustrating at times when you don't get success for whatever reason so to get a result is very satisfying.