Due to other work commitments, and poor weather, I've not had chance this week to visit the becks to try and capture a Kingfisher on film as I'd intended, but here's a photo I took on Ormesby Beck last year.

I did get chance to check on the artificial Otter Holt that we installed a couple of months ago with the aid of volunteers, and there were Otter footprints in the mud close to the entrance. In order not to cause any disturbance, I avoided approaching any closer, and I'll be returning to carefully set up a camera overlooking the entrance, very soon.

To view regularly updated 'Wildplaces' footage and photographs, visit: http://www.urbanwildplaces.co.uk/

A couple of days ago on my way to a meeting, I decided to have a quick walk along Middlebeck (the beck behind the Southlands centre, which runs parallel with Ormesby road in Middlesbrough).
I took the camcorder with me, as this is usually an excellent place to spot Water Voles, and although I've managed to photograph them many times over the last few years, I'd not recently had time to do much filming of these fascinating animals, which are thriving along most of Middlesbroughs becks.
There were several Voles feeding and moving about along the beck while I was there, and I've put together a little compilation of the videos I shot.
There was also a Kingfisher flying up and down the beck, but unfortunately on this occasion I didn't have enough time to try and film it, but hopefully I'll be returning to try again when I've got a bit more time.

Wildplaces Tees valley

On this blog I'll be giving regular updates of what 'Wildplaces' activity is going on in the Tees Valley. I'll also be adding photos and videos of local wildlife which have been taken recently by myself and by memebers of the public who have volunteered to set up or monitor some of our cameras. The images that are captured are used to help promote the area and raise public awareness of the diversity of wildlife that can be found locally.

When I'm out and about during the course of my work, people often remark to me that the beck valleys in Middlesbrough support little or no wildlife. At times I've received some very disbelieving looks when I tell people what animals I've seen here, so back in September I decided to set up one of our static cameras along one of the local becks, to try and capture footage of some of the animals which I knew were here. I carefully chose a spot to position the camera facing the hollow base of a mature Willow tree growing right on the beck side.
After a week, I returned to collect the camera and check what, if anything, it had recorded. Watch the video and see for yourselves....

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