Living Otter Holt 6, and Wilden Marsh Sunday Conservation Day.
Sunrise: 07.09 Sunset: 05.37
The living otter holt is finally finished. The build accounted for 44 work hours in total, which is a reasonable time. Nature has to play her part by facilitating rooting of the willow, greening-up of the structure, and we need a pregnant otter bitch to take up residence.
Also read the following posts:
http://thewildenmarshblog.com/2014/01/26/conservation-sunday-and-living-otter-holt-building-4/
Improvement of the field on the east bank of North Pond is almost complete. An average of six volunteers worked a total of 90 hours over 3 Sunday workdays. Our work has transformed the field from an overgrown and inaccessible mass of closely packed bramble bushes, small birch trees and other mixed scrub, into valuable pastureland. The cattle were not keen on this area, but they had to walk through it to access the swamp; hopefully, they will now graze the field and help keep it in reasonable condition.
The east bank of North Pond is also cleared of bramble and scrub. Single logs and a log pile close to the water’s edge will benefit reptiles and amphibians, whilst also attracting insects and beetles. Standing deadwood is retained for woodpeckers, and a few small standing dead elders for jelly eared fungi.
Today was very productive, and the weather just right – no rain. Many thanks to everyone for their hard work and high spirits.
North Pond is immediately behind the first line of trees in the 3rd and 4th images.
Mark did a fine job as fireman.
The Holt Entrance.
Mike Averill posing for the purpose of scale.
Volunteers Denise, Regine, Matt, Len and Bill pose for posterity, and to take the blame if the whole project turns out to be a white elephant.
An improved field alongside North Pond.
The same field, with the camera panned to the left.
How could an otter refuse that! It sure looks like everyone enjoyed the building. I look forward to more blogs.
I think the problem might be that I don’t think like an otter, and my values will be dramatically different. I agree, though: How can a pregnant otter not fall in love with our new living otter holt?
What a great project! It “otter” be successful…!
Thank you, Debi. If an otter does take up residence, I will be the first to shout about it.
Congratulations on completing the holt. What a mammoth task. I hope you get an otter taking up residence soon.
Thanks, Julia. In the speculative world of today, you build and then wait for someone to move in. It’s the same with otter holts, except otters don’t buy or rent – they squat.
That is a terrific LOH build Mike. I’m going to see if I do better – see who gets an otter in residence first.
Haha. A little competition is healthy. 🙂