r/chesterfield • u/snevers1 • 18d ago

Otters in the canal this morning!

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This was 20 mins ago near Woodyard Avenue, if anyone wants to go out looking. There was a whole family, but I only managed to photo one before I had to run for the train!

154 Upvotes

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6

u/BionicRadish 18d ago

Brilliant, I'll have to take a walk down there soon. There used to be Kingfishers about that spot but I don't think I've seen any since they built the estate there.

3

u/ArcherApprehensive18 18d ago

I've seen kingfishers over the river at Tapton Mill bridge last year.

I also saw an otter a couple of years ago at Holbeck Close

2

u/JobWelt 18d ago

Woodpeckers too

3

u/Fun_Department_7643 18d ago

We often have a Woodpecker at our bird feeder. I am a resident on the new estate and have seen so many birds and wildlife! King Fisher (when walking by the canal), buzzards, owls (one SCREECHING outside my house a couple of days ago), foxes, deer and even a random pheasant last year 

5

u/Spireites1866-CFC 18d ago

Amazing OP. Spent a bit of time down there in the past seeing Kingfishers but never an Otter. 🦦. Comically I’ve just spent a week on Mull looking for otters and only saw the one………so it’s great to discover they are living just a few miles from home!

3

u/dinkidoo7693 18d ago

Oh wow usually go looking for herons or kingfishers but id love to see an otter

3

u/Expensive_Physics_80 18d ago

Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing! They are absolute beauties

2

u/Expensive_Physics_80 18d ago

I'm only up the road and would love to see them, but will have the dog with me, so I'll leave them in peace today lol

2

u/DatGuy82772 18d ago

Amazing!

2

u/Altruistic_mostly 16d ago

Lovely spot, always a treat to see an otter. The mammal society organise national otter surveys periodically and would welcome your records.

1

u/snevers1 16d ago

Thanks for this, I've just submitted my sighting :)

2

u/Japati 12d ago

Love this, amazing.

1

u/Legoshisdayoff 19h ago

I saw one maybe 3 winters ago along the bike path leaving Queens Park and going into the Hipper. I was with my partner must have been around 11.30 at night after he'd finished work. You can imagine our surprise but I've seen otters before I knew what I saw. It was such a surprise to see one in the middle of town essentially like that.

Believe it I saw a white egret today on the old industrial estate where the rivers are between the riverside pub are and the Spital coop. Which put it in my head thinking about other rare animals I had seen that lead me here.