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04-11-2007, 10:22 AM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi all
Just joined the forum, I am a retired finance manager (escaped on early voluntary retirement) and I am now working as a volunteer Water Vole surveyor for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Some fantastic Water Vole pics in the gallery, will post some of mine soon.
Shirl |
04-11-2007, 10:33 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Milton, Hampshire
Posts: 2,981
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Shirl.
Welcome to WAB. |
04-11-2007, 10:44 AM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: West Oxfordshire.
Posts: 817
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Shirl, from one Water Vole surveyer to another. I volunteer with BBOWT's Water Vole recovery project on the River Windrush. Looking forward to seeing your pics. Where abouts do you survey.
Welcome to WAB anyway the best place to be, apart from by the river with Water Voles that is.
BWD
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04-11-2007, 10:49 AM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger  Hi Shirl, from one Water Vole surveyer to another. I volunteer with BBOWT's Water Vole recovery project on the River Windrush. Looking forward to seeing your pics. Where abouts do you survey.
Welcome to WAB anyway the best place to be, apart from by the river with Water Voles that is.
BWD | Hi there
Lowland Derbyshire mainly (Cromford Canal and surrounding area, Belper, Chesterfield anywhere I am needed really), I absolutley love it and even though I won't be doing much surveying over the winter months I will still be down by the water taking more pics. Hopefully tomorrow I will do another latrine count at Cromford Canal just to see if the activity is slowing down yet. What a way to spend an autumn morning counting piles of Water Vole poo!
Shirl |
04-11-2007, 11:00 AM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: West Oxfordshire.
Posts: 817
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by shirl Hi there
What a way to spend an autumn morning counting piles of Water Vole poo!
Shirl | That's what I did this morning. No sightings, but a few tracks and some droppings as well. The things we do.
I haven't managed to get any decent photos, but have got an amount of video, there are a couple on youtube.
BWD
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04-11-2007, 11:07 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ijmuiden, Holland
Posts: 1,935
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Shirl, welcome to WAB, you do a worth while job with the Water Voles, it must be quite rewarding to know you are doing your bit. We will look forward to seeing some of your images and posts. Good luck tomorrow - I hope you find all the poo you want too  . |
04-11-2007, 11:08 AM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger That's what I did this morning. No sightings, but a few tracks and some droppings as well. The things we do.
I haven't managed to get any decent photos, but have got an amount of video, there are a couple on youtube.
BWD | Tracks and droppings are all you need really, but it is always exciting when the Water Voles appear too. I was taking a photo recently of a latrine with a ruler in the shot (as you do) and some cygnets were determined to get the ruler off me! Must include swans in future risk assessments. Wish I was by the canal now, but I am trying to sort out my unwanted loft visitors - rats. Got a cage up there at the moment with goodies in and if I can catch it / them, they will be going for a nice walk this afternoon to their new home in the country. |
04-11-2007, 11:20 AM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Saddleworth, West Yorkshire
Posts: 124
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Welcome!
I saw a post for a Water Vole Project Officer down in Oxford, looked brilliant, was gutted I cant start applying for jobs until next year  |
04-11-2007, 11:27 AM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by hannahpanda Hi Welcome!
I saw a post for a Water Vole Project Officer down in Oxford, looked brilliant, was gutted I cant start applying for jobs until next year | Be warned, Water Vole surveying is highly addictive, jobs like that don't come up very often, still a volunteer surveyor is well worth doing in the meantime. Although the Water Voles aren't very active in the winter months, they do appear often, can't wait for Feb and the start of another breeding season. |
04-11-2007, 11:37 AM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Saddleworth, West Yorkshire
Posts: 124
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by shirl Be warned, Water Vole surveying is highly addictive, jobs like that don't come up very often, still a volunteer surveyor is well worth doing in the meantime. Although the Water Voles aren't very active in the winter months, they do appear often, can't wait for Feb and the start of another breeding season. | Yeah I didnt think they would come up often! I am starting newt surveys with a company next year which will be good |
04-11-2007, 11:54 AM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by hannahpanda Yeah I didnt think they would come up often! I am starting newt surveys with a company next year which will be good | Love newts, well I love all wildlife, may do some Otter surveys next year, hope you enjoy your new job |
04-11-2007, 12:03 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Saddleworth, West Yorkshire
Posts: 124
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by shirl Love newts, well I love all wildlife, may do some Otter surveys next year, hope you enjoy your new job | Otter surveys! you lucky thing 
thanks, its not a job though! im in my final year of uni and finish next May, I arranged it for some work experience, need to bulk up my CV! |
04-11-2007, 01:00 PM
|  | Active Member | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ripley Derbyshire
Posts: 73
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Shirl
welcome to WAB. I walk the Cromford canal regularly if I see someone measuring vole Pooh I will now know what here are up to and who it is now . LOL
Anyway greeting and I am sure you will enjoy this forum see you round
Martin.....
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Cats have staff |
04-11-2007, 01:01 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1,732
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Shirl
Hello and welcome to WAB from me in derbyshire!!! 
jen xxx |
04-11-2007, 01:03 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hertfordshire..
Posts: 1,517
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi ther shirl..A warm welcome to WAB ..Looking forward to seeing you around the forum ..
Julie
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04-11-2007, 01:20 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lancashire.
Posts: 1,012
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi Shirl,
a warm welcome to WAB, looking forward to your posts and photos.
Carol.
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05-11-2007, 07:55 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 2,039
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hi, and a warm welcome to WAB |
05-11-2007, 10:32 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, FPRSY
Posts: 4,886
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Look forward to meeting you while I'm wandering about the Dales! The only place I've seen Water Voles recently has been near Cuthroat Bridge up near the Derwent Edge. Good luck. Quote:
Originally Posted by shirl Hi all
Just joined the forum, I am a retired finance manager (escaped on early voluntary retirement) and I am now working as a volunteer Water Vole surveyor for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Some fantastic Water Vole pics in the gallery, will post some of mine soon.
Shirl | |
05-11-2007, 04:55 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Shropshire
Posts: 589
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Another Water Vole surveyor here! Pleased to meet you, Shirl.
And check out Billy's videos on Youtube - they're great! Also, a guy called Flyingdales; he's a fellow volunteer in my local group and he's taken some nice film of Shropshire voles. (I've got a few video clips on my blog, too.) |
05-11-2007, 05:31 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by vole-woman Another Water Vole surveyor here! Pleased to meet you, Shirl.
And check out Billy's videos on Youtube - they're great! Also, a guy called Flyingdales; he's a fellow volunteer in my local group and he's taken some nice film of Shropshire voles. (I've got a few video clips on my blog, too.) | I will check them out, great to see so many Water Vole fanatics on this site, hopefully if I can sort out my image upload problem you will be able to see some of my recent pics. Will try again tomorrow, you never know.
Shirl |
05-11-2007, 06:38 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: West Oxfordshire.
Posts: 817
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by shirl Be warned, Water Vole surveying is highly addictive, jobs like that don't come up very often, still a volunteer surveyor is well worth doing in the meantime. Although the Water Voles aren't very active in the winter months, they do appear often, can't wait for Feb and the start of another breeding season. | I will second that. Even as a volunteer it is so rewarding, and the other things you see apart from the Water Voles are great. My thirst for wildlife has increased so much since I started volunteering with BBOWT.
Didn't the BBC film a short 10minute programme on the Water Voles on the cromford canal a few years ago. I might be wrong, usualy am, but I know it was in that part of Derbyshire.
BWD
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05-11-2007, 06:49 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Shropshire
Posts: 589
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
They did, and it was brilliant. I'd love to visit that place! |
06-11-2007, 04:27 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Nairn,Nairnshire,Scotland
Posts: 1,480
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Hello Shirl and welcome to WAb great bunch here always willing to help and offer advice in ID and other topics look forward to your pics
Cheers.....Bill |
07-11-2007, 10:15 AM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cromford, Derbyshire Dales
Posts: 285
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger I will second that. Even as a volunteer it is so rewarding, and the other things you see apart from the Water Voles are great. My thirst for wildlife has increased so much since I started volunteering with BBOWT.
Didn't the BBC film a short 10minute programme on the Water Voles on the cromford canal a few years ago. I might be wrong, usualy am, but I know it was in that part of Derbyshire.
BWD |
Yep it was Cromford Canal, my favourite Water Vole spotting place and only minutes from where I live. Wish I was there now instead of waiting for my Wildlife Sloutions person to arrive to give me a hand blocking any holes in the loft etc to keep the other wild ratties out! Not caught any though, so I wonder if they have been disturbed and just done a runner. Maybe they saw the live mammal trap and thought better of it. Oh well maybe Water Voles tomorrow
Shirl |
07-11-2007, 12:42 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Shropshire
Posts: 589
| | | Re: Hello from the Derbys Dales
I was talking to a pest control officer earlier in the year and he said how hard it was to trap live rats. He reckoned they were pretty bright animals. | | |
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