Cardiff Uni plea for volunteers

Cardiff University are hoping to recruit volunteers to help with otter spraint collections - can you help?

Background
During national surveys in the 80s and 90s in Wales, spraint from some catchments (including the Teifi, Tywi, Wye, Cleddau and Severn) was collected. Initial analysis of some of these samples indicates a marked drop in eel remains between the two decades, and a shift to other prey species.

Cardiff Uni would like to repeat spraint collection on all the catchments for which we have historic spraint collections to analyse prey remains and identify both the decrease in reliance on eels (and how this varies between catchments) and what other species are making up the deficit. For example, is this causing increased pressure on other vulnerable species like amphibians, or on resources such as stillwater fisheries?

Practicalities
The hope is to collect spraint this summer; there are details of exactly where spraint was collected in the past, so they want to repeat this as closely as possible.

Funding applications are currently being written to cover costs such as volunteer travel. It will help the funding bid to have a good list of collaborators, so if you think you might like to get involved, please let me know asap. Otherwise, watch this space for more details!

Otters

Probably the same otter family at Cors Dyfi over the last few days as in the image two blogs down. Almost certainly a mother with two kits.

Short video here

National Polecat Survey 2014-2015

Vincent Wildlife Trust are launching a new polecat survey to gather up-to-date information on the current distribution of polecats in Britain and investigate introgression between polecats and ferrets. This survey follows on from 2 previous surveys carried out by VWT in the 1990s and 2004-2006.

They are keen to receive records of polecats, polecat-ferrets and feral ferrets from all over mainland Britain, including Montgomeryshire. The survey will start in January 2014 and run until the end of 2015. For more information, click here.

Otters

Two otters were feeding this morning in a perch stocked pool on the boundary of Cors Dyfi and Morben Isaf caravan park. Here's one of them!

(Image Alan Davies)

Otters at Cors Dyfi

Three otters captured on Stealth Camera on December 11th at Cors Dyfi. An adult and two juveniles.

Great Otter footage

Today I was sent this short, but sweet video of three Otters on the Afon Cain in Llanfechain - many thanks to Jake Stephen (www.jakestephenphotography.co.uk). Two of them spraint at two different locations, under the bridge. Great footage!

Strange sound from Yellow-neck

Whilst checking the dormouse nest boxes at Coed Pendugwm Nature Reserve the other day, I found two Yellow-necked Mice in one box, one male and one female. Once in the bag, the female constantly made a sound which I have never heard any mouse make before.

I'm guessing it was a response to the stress, maybe even a warning to stay away. I would be interested to know whether anyone else has heard something similar.