Thyrsis Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 We live on top of a hill in rural Oxfordshire. This weekend we got footage on our trail camera of an otter raiding our neighbour’s pond. Is this unusual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reimar Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Are you sure it was a river otter and not a mink? I had one find the pond in my front yard (in Toronto) and he cleaned out the 8, two-foot koi I had in there. They will keep coming back until all the fish are dead. It was heartbreaking to see them chewed up like that. Many died over some months. I eventually trapped him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 We thought it would be a mink but from the footage it looks like an otter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 https://youtu.be/5K9kwDhktqw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Handson Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Having looked at the video it looks very much like an otter to me. If they know there is a food source they will continue to utilise it. Hope that helps? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 (edited) 41 minutes ago, Dave Handson said: Having looked at the video it looks very much like an otter to me. If they know there is a food source they will continue to utilise it. Hope that helps? Dave Thanks Dave. I guess once the fish are all eaten it will move on. Edited October 28, 2019 by Thyrsis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reimar Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 1 hour ago, Thyrsis said: We thought it would be a mink but from the footage it looks like an otter. You're right. Too big for a mink. Looks like an otter. For us it would be a North American River otter. That must be a Eurasian otter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Chapman Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 1 hour ago, Thyrsis said: https://youtu.be/5K9kwDhktqw That's an Otter. I've spent many hours watching otters (and the occasional mink) in Scotland, that's definitely an otter. I've often been surprised how far up cliffs/hills or away from water they will venture when foraging for food. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecile Marion Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 It even looks a lot like the river otters we have in Northern Florida. A long way from you! They can be very aggressive and are usually quite intelligent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 My son gave up stocking his small yard pond with Koi. With his, it was fishing herons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 2 hours ago, Betty LaRue said: My son gave up stocking his small yard pond with Koi. With his, it was fishing herons. In Vancouver, people put wire meshes over yard ponds to help protect fish from hungry herons. Not sure how effective meshes would be with the like of otters and minks, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reimar Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Here is my pre-mink pond. The GB Heron I don't worry about - never got one fish since the sides of my pond a vertical and deep. They do try throwing up on the water, but no luck. https://www.alamy.com/great-blue-heron-invading-a-decorative-fish-pond-at-the-front-of-a-image60164662.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=5B1BE1EB-0BCA-4243-AE37-017A8CCD241D&p=69725&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d3%26resultview%3dsortbyRelevant%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dheron%20pond%20house%26qt_raw%3dheron%20pond%20house%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3dCA%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d1%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d DDTMHX Clearly, I've forgotten how to post an Alamy picture here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) oops Edited October 29, 2019 by spacecadet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 25 minutes ago, Reimar said: DDTMHX Clearly, I've forgotten how to post an Alamy picture here. Here you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reimar Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Cheers. 14 minutes ago, spacecadet said: Here you go Cheers. Inquiring minds want to know how you did that. The URL seems to long to paste in the "insert image from URL" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Reimar said: Here is my pre-mink pond. The GB Heron I don't worry about - never got one fish since the sides of my pond a vertical and deep. They do try throwing up on the water, but no luck. https://www.alamy.com/great-blue-heron-invading-a-decorative-fish-pond-at-the-front-of-a-image60164662.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=5B1BE1EB-0BCA-4243-AE37-017A8CCD241D&p=69725&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d3%26resultview%3dsortbyRelevant%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dheron%20pond%20house%26qt_raw%3dheron%20pond%20house%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3dCA%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d1%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d DDTMHX Clearly, I've forgotten how to post an Alamy picture here. That’s a wooden cutout of a heron. It’s too perfect! 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 This is our pond. It’s raised but the heron lands on the edge and wades in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 14 hours ago, Reimar said: Cheers. Cheers. Inquiring minds want to know how you did that. The URL seems to long to paste in the "insert image from URL" Drag and drop from the image's page on Alamy, but I have two monitors so that's easier to do. Or right-click and "copy image location" from AIM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCat Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Thyrsis said: This is our pond. It’s raised but the heron lands on the edge and wades in! I suffer from extreme envy when I see where some of you live. Enjoy! Paulette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 6 hours ago, NYCat said: I suffer from extreme envy when I see where some of you live. Enjoy! Paulette We’ve been in this house 32 years Paulette so have done a lot to it, and to the garden. My other half built the pond himself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 A view of the pond when the wisteria is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, NYCat said: I suffer from extreme envy when I see where some of you live. Enjoy! Paulette I got confused here- wondered why Paulette's house reminded me so much of the Home Counties! Edited October 30, 2019 by spacecadet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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