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Live BBC Interview
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BBC
Hereford & Worcester called again last week about
the Ross-on-Wye Otters and about Wyenot News and this
morning, Monday 13th February, I agreed to being interviewed
whilst photographing wildlife by the River Wye outside
the White
Lion
pub at Wilton. Dave Newman, Landlord of the White Lion
came along also and told listeners how he regularly sees
otters from the pub window. For you beer drinkers out
there, Dave has specially bought in some 'Otter Bitter'
for the season, so why not go along and enjoy a pint or
several.
I
do not usually like doing radio interviews but Julie Tyler
is a nice radio reporter. We had met a couple of times
before at various news events and as well as discussing
wildlife, we had a laugh live on air about my experience
of moving from East London to Ross-on-Wye in 1976. I had
told Julie off air about how the local newspapers in Barking,
where I grew up were about half an inch thick and, sadly,
contained weekly reports of murders and rapes. The first
week I moved to Ross, on the front page of the Ross Gazette,
the worst crime news was that somebody had been caught
by the police, urinating in a telephone box. Ross is a
far more tranquil place to live than London and I would
never go back. I was not sure myself that this story would
be good to relate on air but Julie disagreed, so I did
mention it. I also mentioned how helpful the Ross Gazette
had been, supporting Wyenot News.
On
the funny side. I did not tell many people that the broadcast
about otters was coming up as I was a little embarrassed
about it. I did tell my friend, Kevin however whilst we
had morning coffee in the Hope & Anchor on Sunday
morning. As we went our separate ways afterwards, Kevin
jokingly said to me, 'I'll give you a tenner if you can
get the word 'rissoles' into the interview.' Well to me,
there is nothing like a challenge! Sorry Kev, you owe
me a tenner but I'll settle for breakfast at the Cantilupe
Café on Thursday morning. If you are wondering
how . . .
'I
was at first worried about giving away the location of
the otters in case local restaurants start putting otter
rissoles on the menu but I have since found out that otter
hunting is virtually a hanging offence . . .'
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Dave
Newman, Julie Tyler and myself at Wilton. Ref: DSCN1664 
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The
latest Ross-on-Wye Otter photos
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As
promised, here are some more photographs of the Ross-on-Wye
otters, which I took this week on Wednesday, 8th February
by the White
Lion pub at Wilton and from Wilton Bridge.
I
was previously a little worried about giving precise locations
for fear of attracting otter hunters with guns but I have
done so having been reliably informed that otters are a
protected species and therefore otter hunting stops a little
short of being a hanging offence.
I
think Wilton is virtually at the end of the otters' territory
but I have seen them there several times now and if you
want to watch them in comfort, visit the White
Lion during the afternoon before dusk, where
you can often see them from the bar. Dave, Landlord of the
pub has been a tremendous help in my effort to photograph
otters by phoning me when they appear. This has cut down
the leg work and saved my frozen hands - even if I did very
nearly go base over apex and drop a very expensive Nikon
camera into the water the first time I negotiated the slippery
rocks in the river.
Below
there are a couple of 'cute otter face poking out of the
water' pictures, plus some of the otters swimming at Wilton,
with the February setting sun showing up the creature's
true colour.
Continued
. . .
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Ref:
DSC_6097
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Ref:
DSC_6098
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As
I mentioned initially,
my ambition is to catch the otters on dry land and during
the two photographs above and the one at the bottom of this
page, I very nearly achieved that ambition. I was ducking
down on Wilton Bridge so as not to be seen from the river,
taking photos over the edge of an otter climbing onto the
bank when a family approached, with children. 'Look boys,
there's an otter' etc.. That was the end of that. The otter
dived not to be seen for the rest of that day.
If
you want to spot otters swimming in the river, wear dark
clothing, move as little as possible and be as quiet as
you can. The otters are used to the noise of the traffic
but are extremely coy about meeting people.
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Ref:
DSC_6137
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Ref:
DSC_6130
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Ref:
DSC_6095
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Ref:
DSC_6093
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