Great news the otter holt we built last month is already in use, unfortunately it was a rabbit I saw hop into one of the entrances and after 10 minutes waiting it still hadn't come out. Hopefully with some closer inspection we might find some evidence that an otter is also using it. Further up river near the other holt I found some very moist otter spraint full of fish bones and scales. Hopefully being so moist it means the spraint was very recent and that the otter is still in the area.
I spent the morning at Rooksbury one day last week and counted 6 water voles, and was lucky to see three in the same area at once. I suspect further up stream that I scared one away as there was a different "plop" as I walked along the river bank. It's so pleasing to see these little mammals apparently doing so well at Rooksbury. With the surveying season just around the corner let’s hope the story is the same along the whole of the River Anton. The ponds at Rooksbury also look as if there should be water voles present again perfect habitat and there are some new burrow entrances.
On the same day I had a quick walk around Anton lakes, to the North of Andover. No signs of any water voles on the stretch of river I looked at but I did see my first 2 Mallard ducklings a sure sign that Spring is really here

James Cooke