Otters

Yesterday I was driving between Salen and Strontian when I spotted an otter in the loch. I stopped the vehicle and was able to spend about 5 minutes watching it cavort in the water and climb on and off rocks. I love seeing otters especially since it always seems pure luck when you do see them. My best sight was one New Years eve when I was out running near Bennachie in Aberdeenshire. It was dark and I had run a long way so I sat down for a breather on the parapet of a small bridge over a stream. I hadn't been there long when I heard a splashing below - something was under the bridge. A head emerged followed by the body of an otter . Oblivious to my presence and not fazed by the beam of my headtorch it slowly made its way upstream sniffing and investigating as it went. It seemed close enough to reach out and touch. I understand that radio collar tracking has shown that otters often travel considerable distances using streams and watercourses as their highways.

Sick otter at the vets

Over the last few days I have seen signs of the coming Spring . In the hills the pools and even puddles are replete with frogspawn.
Today I saw a hawthorn tree in flower and the daffodils will soon be in bloom. I'm never sure whether the saying 'Don't cast a cloot until May is oot' refers to the month of May or the May ( hawthorn ) flowers. In Scotland I think it would be safer to wait until  June before casting any cloots ( cloth or clothes) !