An alder, its roots undermined by the current just below a bend, fell some years ago and formed a dam across the stream; below the obstacle the silt collected until a long, narrow, sandy islet was formed. On this the snow now lies, a white patch in midstream, and across its narrowest neck is a line of footprints – the “seals” of an otter. I noticed them first last Sunday, immediately after the fall; the otter had been out hunting for its breakfast. These otter footmarks are peculiarly broad; they cannot be confused with the prints left by a dog; indeed, no rat-hunting dog had been there since the snow fell, for there were no marks on either bank. The otter had come down stream, landed and crossed the islet, and entered the water again. From the size of the prints it was only a small animal, but it was pleasing to find that there are some about; as I have no wish for otter hounds to come or for traps to be put down I do not mention the name of the stream, but it is not far from Manchester.



A Congleton correspondent was astonished to see a gull feeding in his garden a week ago. The black-headed gull is now so widely distributed over Cheshire that I should have thought it occurred near, Congleton, though doubtless usually avoiding gardens.

From Sale comes more about the scarcity of tits; the writer suggests that they may have been lured from the cocoanut by suet in another garden. This will not apply to my garden, nor to that of a friend from Halifax, who only feeds his birds on suet, but has noticed a similar diminution in numbers.