I was 15 minutes early for meeting at Fingle Bridge yesterday with the Woodland Trust so I had a quick walk up past the bridge towards Fingle weir. On a stone by a fallen tree next to the weir I found a very fresh otter spraint.
Spraint is the posh way of saying otter poo. It is easily told from other species’ dropping because of its smell – it is not unpleasant and has a hint of jasmine tea! Finding otters spraints is the main way the distribution and status of otters are mapped and described.
Fingle weir
The River Teign in its summer glory
Good to know such a beautiful place is home to otters
A Dartmoor blog 
Adrian can you cross post this on the Fingle Blog as we have volunteers out looking for evidence of Otters at the moment and we have some cameras out and incredibly we have got a vide that’s been given to use of an otter in Upperton Weir pool which runs for a few mins, just trying to get this edited.
David Rickwood
Site Manager Devon
davidrickwood@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Local Office Devon : 08452 935810
Mobile: 07827 820637
How exciting! I’m thrilled to know there are otters thriving at Fingle Woods……what a dream it would be to see one!