We are pleased to share a sweet poem written by Veronica Gunton of Little Paxton:

Today, much loved and valued, the European otter has survived hundreds of years of hunting and trapping.  When we moved to Little Paxton in 1968 there were still active hunting packs of men and dogs operating in parts of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The hunt was seemingly a great local social occasion and ejoyed by the local villagers.  It was not until as late as 1982 that the otter was fully protected in law.  Scotland was the last area to ban otter hunting.  However, the animal is still disliked by some human fishermen - I wonder why?

Let's set the records straight about which otter breeds in Britain and Europe, it is just one species and we have found them recently well above the Arctic Circle.  So, despite what people may think, we do not have sea otters anywhere in Britain or Europe.  The species which breeds in the Ouse Valley also can be found in every English County, the Scottish West Coast and Islands, but especially north to Shetland.  Here, recent estimates suggest that these islands may be home to over one thousand otters!

The sea otter only occurs along the west coast of Canada and the USA, where they were almost wiped out by the fur trade.  Since protection they have also made a remarkable comeback - which is good news indeed!

My wife Veronica now writes about her personal experiences with otters at Paxton Pits:

'When an otter first made an appearance during an Open Day there was great excitement!  This animal seemed remarkably confident and afforded our many visitors their first view of a wild otter.  On another occasion I was privileged to witness an amazing interaction between an otter and a fox.  Sitting alone in Kingfisher Hide, I watched the fox trotting above the edge of the water, and the otter (which had been fishing nearby) swam towards it.  The two animals came quite close to each other before the fox turned and ran up the bank, chased by the otter.  Eventually the otter returned to the water with, eventually, the fox standing and watching from the waters edge.  This was an amazing interaction between two wild animals and what a shame that this experience could not have been shared with others'

Since these early days we have travelled far and wide looking for these very remarkable animals - from Shetland to the outer isles and Arran.  All have provided wonderful wildlife experiences and sometimes a great deal of frustration.

However, you need not travel far these days with lots of sightings around Paxton Pits and I have even heard about otters being seen along the river and even from St Neots Bridge.

So, good luck and let's celebrate the return of the otter - and all other local wildlife in these challenging times!

St James Church would like to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting us through the Co-Op Local Community Fund.  Our local Co-Op store has chosen St James Church to be one of it's recipients of their local community fund.  The idea is that shoppers choose from a list of charities the Co-Op support and when they shop a percentage of what they spend goes to their chosen charity.  You can sign up on the link below if you haven't already done so.  So far St James has benefitted from £473, and this is hugely appreciated as we continue to support our local community, especially at this challenging time!

As I see it - our changing bird population

As I write, it is late March and it seems that the whole of the UK is in 'lockdown'.  Many of us are looking to our gardens to help keep in touch with the natural world.  With around 23 million private gardens in the UK, covering an area about the size of Suffolk, our gardens are of increasing importance for wildlife.

Some startling facts have recently come to light, most concerning is that the chaffinch, once Britain's commonest bird, has in the last five years declined by 23%. Why is this, you may ask?

The answer is: 'No idea'.  But a lot of work is being carried out to try and find the reason for this collapse of the chaffinch population.  Greenfinch numbers are also well down.  One thing we all could do is to make sure that your bird feeders are kept clean.  However, both locally and nationally some of our familiar birds are doing well.  These include the great spotted and green spotted woodpeckers, collared doves, woodpigeons and jackdaws.  How often do you see these birds in your garden?

If you are confined to the house, why not make a list of the birds seen each day?  The most we have ever recorded is 19 species in a period of cold weather.

Talking of changing bird populations, we need more facts.  So, if you ever see any breeding house martins, swallows, coal tits or spotted fly catchers, around your house or outbuilding, please let me know.

I am often asked, what is the most common bird in Britain?  Most folk are surprised to know that it is the wren with over 11 million pairs.  How amazing is that?

The wren is followed by everyone's favourite, the robin with 7.35 million pairs - do you have robins breeding in your garden?  All our wildlife need a little TLC at the moment - Little Paxton remains great for wildlife.  And do not forget to feed - and provide water for our garden birds.

Thank you.

Trevor