The Stoneyford River is just a minute or two from my house. This river runs very close to Delvin and through the fields of Crowenstown. There is a tributary of the river beside our meadow. We can get down to the Stoneyford quickly because I made a hole in our hedge and a little bridge with pallets over the tributary and I can get into Paddy Duffy’s field where the Stoneyford flows through.

I saw an Otter by the tributary last year, the Otter was running along the river bank. It was not very big. It was very slender looking and it had a brownish / chestnut fur on its back legs and tail with a white chest and stomach.

There’s a bridge at the end of the field. Under the bridge there is a group of Mink. If you try going under they’ll chase you and try to bite your feet or legs. The Mink are very slender looking with dark brown fur. A man I help with silage and cattle shot one because it raided his sheds. Minks are about the length of a rabbit but thinner.