John Bailey – The Kingfisher Diaries
June 3rd 2010
Spring Watch - Just Where Are They Coming From?!
It's 1st June, 8.15 p.m. and I'm watching BBC 2. I generally like Spring Watch. It's filmed just up the valley from us at Pensthorpe. I see areas of the river I know, recognise and love. Tonight, though, I'm apoplectic.
Kate Humble is absolutely bouncing up and down with excitement. They've filmed an otter both at night and again during the early morning. She's ecstatic. You hardly ever see otters hunt in the day, she trills. How fantastic. What a sign that the river is thriving. And, she continues in a state of misinformed bliss, the animals are eating crayfish, their favourite diet.
I have to switch off. How can anglers - and even informed naturalists - combat this mindless, misinformed research? We all know there are far too many otters now in the Wensum. We all know fish stocks are so massively threatened, the animals frequently maraud onto lakes even miles from the nearest water course. We all know barbel, chub and roach are in peril. Water voles are often targeted. Moorhens and coots have virtually disappeared.
And even if otters did eat purely crayfish as Humble suggests, what then? Are they targeting the natural English crayfish which are so rare? Or are they eating American signal crayfish which shouldn't be in the river in the first place and which do untold harm in themselves. And which are, by the way, so thickly populated otters will make little difference to their numbers.
I love otters, Kate. But I love all wildlife, I love a balance. We need harmony.
But what on EARTH are we to do whilst the BBC maintains such a lopsided view of the aquatic environment. Contact me as ever at info@kingfisherapartments.com