Otters Finally!

 Otters Finally!

We arrived at 7:25 in the morning in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive, sinuous European Otter. When we arrived, we were welcomed by a dawn chorus, loads of songbirds singing in the morning, and we heard Eurasian Green Woodpeckers, Marsh Tits, Great Tits and many other species. We went straight along the Causeway and straight through the Causeway Hide. Only one other birder was there that early. We went straight through the woodland part and arrived at the Lower Hide, the furthest hide, at 7:40. The other person in the hide had only seen Giant Otters in South America. This was their third and final attempt before she headed back to her home, as she was living in a van for 3 days since this place was far. We soon met two more people who said that they'd seen 2 juvenile European Otters at a bridge along the Causeway that crosses a channel. We soon left unsuccessful but had to return to grab the phone that we forgot at the hide. When we entered the Lower Hide, the multiple birders now there told me where they had seen two European Otter heads pop up. As soon as they did, I saw them rolling around for just a second before they disappeared towards the Causeway Hide. We then made our way there, meeting the first warden of RSPB Leighton Moss, John Wilson MBE, along the way. He told me that this summer he'll show me a place where 126 pairs of European Pied Flycatchers nest. We then arrived at the Causeway Hide where we got a better view of the European Otters playing at the back. They were now viewable from the bridge, the Lower Hide and the hide we were in. Gadwall, Tufted Ducks, Eurasian Coots, Common Pochards, Common Goldeneye, Eurasian Teal, Great Cormorants, a Great Black-Backed Gull and Common Gulls were also viewable. We then made our way to the Lilian's Hide where we saw Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Common Snipe and the Northern Shoveler x Cinnamon Teal hybrid.