CAMERA TRAPS

In April we installed digital camera traps at a location on Skye where we have been monitoring the otters, so that we can see how often they use freshwater pools.  The cameras detect movement and can provide either still images or video as well as date and time. 

Every time we check the cameras there is great excitement to see what has been photographed.  Sometimes we come back to the computer with over 100 photos but to our disappointment a very large percentage turn out to be sheep!  We also have excellent shots of oystercatchers, hooded crows and heron.

But then there are the actual otter pictures:  shadowy night shots of an otter grooming and rolling on its back;  a single animal running across the grass and the most exciting – a female with her two cubs!

They have now been in place for six months and have already provided some interesting insight into otter behaviour.  Unlike otters in freshwater which are largely nocturnal, we had always believed our coastal otters were diurnal.  So we were surprised to find photos of the otters taken at their freshwater pool at night on several dates in May.  Activity at night would be understandable in winter as day length is so short but in June we have a photo of two otters taken at 1.30am and by then it barely gets dark.  So it would appear that these otters are active on and off throughout the day and night.

Here are just a few of the photos:

Two Otters at night

Mother and 2 cubs

Cheeky otter playing with the camera (12/11/07)