So if you haven;t just stumbled upon this one blog entry and have read the previous few then you will understand that we part time, extremely enthusiastic otter spotters are now wondering just where luck ends and something like experience or dare we say it skill or even more dare we say it divine intervention counts. We came with 12 otter spots under the proverbial belt. We now had another 6 in the bag and it is our last day on Isle of Mull.
Wandered down to Fidden Farm area (where we had intended to camp before we saw how horrendous the forecast was) Again we found spraints and spraiting points (and were delighted by this in itself)
On way back we bethought us to stop once more at the fruitful Loch Scridon and then head back to Loch Buie (site of our first sighting of a single otter hunting but also of 2 eagles and thinking it much more liely we would see the eagles again than any chance of a final farewell otter)
Arrived at Scridon and parked up for a walk. Simom noticed that the "island" that we'd seen two otters eat on was now walkable to and proceeded to slip and slide across seaweed strewn rocks towards that point..
I snapped a buzzard swooping right across my line of vision and a couple of herons for want of getting something on the memory card at least on our last day.
Herons make a hell of a racket when screeching off but there was another sound I sort of became aware of which forced my bins to eyes. A scan of the sea and the seaweed shoreline promptly stopped me in my tracks! My final prayers had asked to see a snuggle of otters curled asleep on some seaweed and lo and behold there in the circular vision of the bins was such a brown furry snuggle. I called a loudly, quietly as possible to Pants (Simon) and began snapping furiously as the snuggle unsnuggled and began to tussle, chase each otjer around in a circle and snap and screech at eavh other. I watched alternatively through bins and camera lens as mother (I assumed) left and slithered in to sea (not to be spotted again) The remaining group slithered and cuddled and dispersed so fast. We followed some for a bit not really understanding how may there had been and where they all went. After a bit we lost them all.
Then one reemerged and we had a final sight of it emerging onto a rocky seaweed island and sliding off that again before disappearing.
On looking at the snaps we realised we had seen 4 otters initially. AWESOME!! TEN OTTER HOLIDAY FOLKS!!
NOT THE END>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We scurried back to see a last sight of golden eagles and as we were bumping through the pot holes beside Loch Buie Simon said "Funny people go slow looking from their cars for otters but you never really see them from the car!" I replied "Well you saw our first this holiday from the car on this very Loch!" He responded.. "Yeah but that was a one off.... OTTER>>>>" I stalled!!
Parked the car in pouring rain and tried to cover my camera at the same time as scrambling over the rocks towards the place I' dropped Simon off without slipping into a rock pool and trying to spot the otter he'd seen.
Once again we had a good hour an half watching a single otter hunting. "he" came close to the rocky shore eating whilst swimming when the prey was small enough and swimming ashore when he needed to concentrate a little more on the chewing action (as the pictures show)
So we left Mull with 23 otters in the bag. Not the closest and best situation for photography but incredible experiences watching behaviour. Singles hunting and eating, sprainting, playing, young with adults! A truly awesome otter spotting experience.
A moment of gratitude is due.... to the great thing, power or energy that some may call god.
:-) :-) :-)
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