Hello from the Derbys Dales

[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

[Deer Stalker]

Hi Shirl.

Welcome to WAB.

[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

[shirl]

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

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

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

[goosey]

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 .

[shirl]

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.

[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

[shirl]

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.

[hannahpanda]

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