Ever seen an otter?
Pull on your wellies and grab a pencil.
For it’s time to get involved in the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP) Wildlife Challenge.
During 2017 you can find out more about local wildlife, visit nature reserves, take part in wildlife spotting events and contribute to the iRecord wildlife database.
The otter is the size of a medium dog. Including the tail, they are around a metre long.
They have a powerful body with webbed feet, making them fast and agile swimmers.
They have grey-brown fur,which can look quite dark when wet, and are paler on the underside.
Otters swim quite low in the water so only the head and part of the back can be seen. They are predators, eating fish, waterbirds, amphibians and mammals.
Otters have underground burrows (holts) next to water. Look for slither marks and footprints in mud and snow on river banks and spraints (poo) on prominent rocks to mark territories – they can look sparkly due to fish scales.
Otters are nocturnal but can also be seen at dawn, dusk and occasionally during the day. Otters can be difficult to spot so try sitting quietly on the riverbanks at Baron’s Haugh and South Haugh and from bridges over the river at Chatelherault.
As part of this year of wildlife spotting you can get involved by taking part in the 500-word count challenge.
Pick a species, write a poem or story, and you will be entered into the prize draw.
There are also events throughout the year. Join in to get outside and hopefully see some of the species in the challenge.
RSPB Scotland are celebrating World Wetlands Day on Sunday with a walk at Baron’s Haugh.
Book on to this event and find out more at: www. clydeandavonvalley.org/join-in/ clyde-and-avon-valley-wildlifechallenge-2017.
Find out more about the CAVLP at www.clydeandavonvalley.org or search Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership – CAVLP on Facebook.
Check out @ClydeAvonValley on Twitter and on Instagram it is @ClydeAvonValley.