Mystery visitor.......

[Oldfentiger]

Make the dog sleep in the garden.

I aren’t got a dog

 

[Oldfentiger]

Serious question how to otters find fish, scent, touch, could it have smelt the fish if it had come down/up the stream?

Dunno the answer to that.
We have a small cascade and a fountain, so maybe the sound of running water?

 

[Blue Hills]

Dunno the answer to that.
We have a small cascade and a fountain, so maybe the sound of running water?

Sounds like a veritable pendle tivoli.
Plenty of water supplies of course.

 

[mudsticks]

.........to our garden pond, last night.
We heard splashing around midnight (pond is a few metres from our bedroom window). Mrs OFT shone a torch and said it looked like a cat was struggling in the pond. Pulled my trackie bottoms on and shot out to hopefully perform a rescue.
No sign of a cat, but three fish lying on the ground variously mutilated. No sign of the perpetrator.
Well it couldn’t be a heron, not after dark. It must be something which can pursue fish in the water, to be able to bag 3 fish in such a short time. Also there’s a net over the pond which has proved to be heron proof.
I switched on the outside light and took up station at the bedroom window to watch. Only had to wait 10 minutes until we received another visit.........an OTTER!!!
I managed to scare it off by banging on the window and shining a torch at it. Then went out and weighted the edges of the net with coping stones, bricks etc.
The bloody thing came back another three times without managing to breach the improved defences.
Mixed emotions here. Fantastic to see an otter in our garden and so close too. Sad to lose the fish in such a manner. One of them was here before we were (16 years)

Excellent news..
Sorry about the fish :-(

Grass snakes will also raid fish from garden ponds..

Otter populations have recovered significantly as waterways have become cleaner. To the extent that on some parts of the country the rivers are at full population density (places like Devon for example). This forces young otters to go in search of new habitats which may be the case here

Having said that, otters are opportunists and this was probably using the stream and decided to have a look around the area to see what's available...bingo

Yes our namesake river is well populated with them now, after years of having none. ..

Beavers too, fantastic to see :-)

 

[steveindenmark]

I aren’t got a dog

Get the wife a tent

 

[Notafettler]

I am waiting for the delivery of some poison to kill the mouse or vole that keep destroying my veg patches on two terraces. I have never seen them. Last year I harvested the carrots to find only the tops and leaves the rest had been eaten. This year on the top terrace it is lifting the beetroot and dropping down (underground) 3 foot to a narrow terrace and lifting all my leeks. By lifting I mean they, unlike moles have shallow runs. I can only replant plants so many time before they die off. The bottom terrace is the same with all my garlic lifted right out of the ground sometimes. Tried planting dog shite in there runs but it just means the create a new run.
DEATH TO MICE AND VOLES.

 

[Blue Hills]

I am waiting for the delivery of some poison to kill the mouse or vole that keep destroying my veg patches on two terraces. I have never seen them. Last year I harvested the carrots to find only the tops and leaves the rest had been eaten. This year on the top terrace it is lifting the beetroot and dropping down (underground) 3 foot to a narrow terrace and lifting all my leeks. By lifting I mean they, unlike moles have shallow runs. I can only replant plants so many time before they die off. The bottom terrace is the same with all my garlic lifted right out of the ground sometimes. Tried planting dog shite in there runs but it just means the create a new run.
DEATH TO MICE AND VOLES.

If you are after a mouse trap (no poison) I cam recommend the one I ended up using - see my thread on mouse bait - can be used outside as well.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/mouse-bait.258510/

please put any response there to avoid diverting the otter thread.

 

[Drago]

Beavers too, fantastic to see :-)

double entendre overload!

 

[mudsticks]

double entendre overload!

Now wash your hands..

 

[mudsticks]

I am waiting for the delivery of some poison to kill the mouse or vole that keep destroying my veg patches on two terraces. I have never seen them. Last year I harvested the carrots to find only the tops and leaves the rest had been eaten. This year on the top terrace it is lifting the beetroot and dropping down (underground) 3 foot to a narrow terrace and lifting all my leeks. By lifting I mean they, unlike moles have shallow runs. I can only replant plants so many time before they die off. The bottom terrace is the same with all my garlic lifted right out of the ground sometimes. Tried planting dog shite in there runs but it just means the create a new run.
DEATH TO MICE AND VOLES.

Get a cat 🙀

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Beavers too, fantastic to see :-)

Calling @Fnaar & @Drago I've never seen a Beaver in the wild

 

[mudsticks]

Calling @Fnaar & @Drago I've never seen a Beaver in the wild

They're quite common hereabouts

It's all about being 'at the right time, in the right place'

 

[nickyboy]

Serious question how to otters find fish, scent, touch, could it have smelt the fish if it had come down/up the stream?

They have excellent sight, smell and touch (via whiskers). I doubt they would smell fish in the pond when they were in a nearby stream but probably heard the fountain and decided to investigate, then hit the fish jackpot.

 

[Beebo]

the Devon beavers are believed to have escaped from a private collection but no one is sure how they arrived.
the good news for the OP is that Beavers don’t eat fish.

 

[mudsticks]

the Devon beavers are believed to have escaped from a private collection but no one is sure how they arrived.
the good news for the OP is that Beavers don’t eat fish.

Oh tis commonly known from whence they came, but for some reason (local politics and general deference) names are never named.

I was direct witness to a much earlier 'escape' of wild creatures from same source many years previously.

But no real harm done, and in this case (many would opine) a benefit gained, so no matter really.

Their pencil sharpened tree stumps, really are a work of art to behold