Holt!!!!!

Not a spelling mistake. This is an otter holt which has been submerged by the previous rains; the pond is gradually returning to previous levels as we anticipate first rumblings of a hosepipe ban. This is the last in a chain of ancient watercress beds, long disused. The otters have moved in and live off the brown trout and other munchable things in the stream which runs through Park Shady.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many images of things such as this, there's more to see and understand if you are at the site. Let's see if you can follow my directions. There is a stick, covered in lichen, poking from the water on the left side; follow that down into the water and it points at a dark patch, there is a darker mass just beyond it. This first dark patch is part of an extended trail which runs from one of the holt's exit holes. In the bottom right hand corner is a small bunch of twisted bracken, this marks one of the above ground escape routes. There are two holes which normally exit into the cress bed and usually lie just above water level.

New tail slides in the embankment on the far side of the pond indicate the otters have survived the recent flooding and are feeding. The scents certainly got Flossie interested this morning.

In other news.......
A pair of swans flying in formation has to be one of the most graceful sites this planet can produce.
A mum with her new baby wandering around the woods reminds me to enjoy our grandsons.
A naughty labrador made me smile and chuckle when Flossie came back to me and sat while the lab cavorted around despite the owners calls.
Life could be worse.