Otter Cubs

"Head Keeper with Otter Cubs" by Alan Jones

Well, do I have some exciting news for you!.. As ever, we have been keeping it a little quiet for the first few weeks just to make sure all is OK... but since they are no longer quiet, and all through my talk yesterday all we could hear were squeaks from the holt, let me introduce you to our two new otter cubs!

These two little ones were born at the end of October, and last week it was time to make sure they were fit health wise, microchip them and sex them. A boy and a girl! Not yet named, but knowing the keeper team I am sure they will be great... well, they will be names at least.

This weekend they are just over 5 week old, and so not coming out of the holt yet, but if you are lucky you may well here them calling.



So when will they out for people to see? Usually around 8 weeks is when we first see them, give or take, and then another couple of weeks for more reliable sightings... and what's that... that times perfectly with our open week after Christmas?.. Well yes it does, what a brilliant mum Emmy is.

We will keep you updated, and hopefully show some more photos of them as they grow. For now we are leaving them alone again for Emmy to do what she does best.

from British Wildlife Centre ~ Keeper's Blog http://britishwildlifecentre.blogspot.com/2018/11/otter-cubs.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2019 off to a reasonable start

Image
Overcast, 5°, light NNW. A Little Egret seen today on the way out to Lollingdon and appeared to drop down near Amwell Spring. The hill hosted around 100 Fieldfare and a flock of c50 Meadow Pipit for a time before moving off over the top. Several Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer around the hill and a single Corn Bunting . A small flock of c20 Pied Wagtail feeding out with the Sheep. A few more Fieldfare and Redwing scattered around the Lollingdon area, a Goldcrest , Grey Heron , Kestrel , a couple of Jay , 2 Bullfinch and several Starling amongst other species. A Brambling in a private garden. Per Alan Dawson. 2 Blackcap in TW’s garden and 2 Chiffchaff at CSW. The flock of c60 Golden Plover still around Cholsey Hill. Brambling (courtesy Alan Dawson) from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-off-to-reasonable-start.html
Read more

A Butterfly day

Image
Another sunny day, 24°, light E. A walk alongside the Bunk line from Church road to the bypass. Butterflies were the order of the day with literally hundreds of Meadow Brown on the wing today. They were everywhere. Another 8 Painted Lady seen with some looking very tatty after a presumably long flight and ageing. Best one of the day was a single Silver-washed Fritillary seen flying around a large garden before disappearing from view. Good numbers of Marbled White all along the route. Other species noted were: Small Skipper , Large Skipper , Large White , Small White , Green-veined White , Brimstone (1), Brown Argus (3), Common Blue (8), Red Admiral (6), Small Tortoiseshell (c20), Comma (3), Speckled Wood (2), Ringlet (12) and Small Heath (2). Some thistles were in flower on the edge of a bean field and these held the majority of Painted Lady , Small Tort and Marbled White . Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle (M&F), Large Red Damselfly and Southern Hawke
Read more

Warblers

Image
Cloudy with some light rain showers, 13°, light to fresh SSW. An early call from Alan this morning regarding a Grasshopper Warbler on Cholsey Marsh. A quick cup of tea and got to the marsh and as soon as I got out of the car I could see Alan and Brian Wyatt there and heard the Warbler reeling away in the depths of the reed bed. They are an annual visitor on Cholsey Marsh and have bred there in recent years. Several other Warblers were in song including, Blackcap , Common Whitethroat , Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler . Also Cetti’s Warbler per Brian. All photos courtesy Alan Dawson. Reed Warbler Sedge Warbler Hairy Shieldbug from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2019/04/warblers.html
Read more