Tracks and signs images needed.

shirl · #**101** (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 06:27 PM

A couple more water vole signs

Feeding remains - spike rush

Water vole burrows

Shirl

pressld2 · #**102** (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 08:28 PM

Here are some barn owl pellets on a centimetre grid...

The three at the front are old (collected on 6th June) and have dried out. The one at the back is fresh and damp and was collected last night after heavy rain most of the day.

Here is a close up showing small mammal bones - probably field vole - sticking out of a damaged end of the pellet. At the time of regurgitation these bones would be safely wrapped in fur...

And this close up shows a rodent incisor - again, probably from a field vole - embedded in the side of the pellet...

Barn owls normally expel two pellets per day and the size varies depending on how successful their hunting has been and how well they have eaten. These ones at 4 - 5 centimetres are pretty average.

Dave P.

Cazzie · #**103** (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 09:55 PM

A nice fresh hedgehog poo for ya Mark lol!!!

Enjoy!!!!

mh68 · #**104** (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cazzie

A nice fresh hedgehog poo for ya Mark lol!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Added to the Hedgehog page, thanks Caz

Put a footprint trap in front of the hedgehog house earlier today, so hopefully in about half an hours time i`ll have a nice set of hog prints , which i can photograph in the morning and add to the thread

Mark H

thunder · #**105** (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 10:34 PM

Here is a Fox print in rather wet snow

Shows how neat they are, when you get a clean single print. I think you ought to be able to cover a Fox track with a standard (British) (safety) matchbox (if anyone remembers them!).

henrya

mh68 · #**106** (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 11:16 PM

Thanks Henry, duly added to the Fox page. Nice print that one

Mark H

mh68 · #**107** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 09:26 AM

Domestic Cat print for comparison purposes. Note lack of claws even on soft ground,forward pointing digital pads,and size ratio between digital pads and interdigital ("palm") pad.

Mark H

mh68 · #**108** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 09:30 AM

Hedgehog left forefoot. Claws not very apparent in this shot, neither is the 5th digital pad on right side of print.

Mark H

Jez · #**109** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 09:42 AM

Tufftie & I were working on a garden yesterday & came across a badger run through the garden some tracks & a latrene so next time we go back, we'll be taking the camera with us & will upload photo's here for you Mark!

mh68 · #**110** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jez

Tufftie & I were working on a garden yesterday & came across a badger run through the garden some tracks & a latrene so next time we go back, we'll be taking the camera with us & will upload photo's here for you Mark!

Excellent mate,cheers..... nice find too

Mark H

Jez · #**111** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh68

Excellent mate,cheers..... nice find too

Mark H

Mark would you know how far away roughly a set would be away from a latrene?

Dogghound · #**112** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jez

Mark would you know how far away roughly a set would be away from a latrene?

Badgers often mark the border of their territory with latrines their territories range from around 30-50ha in a rich habitat to 150ha in a poor one such as uplands etc. Some latrines are near or in the sett but around 70% mark the territory border. So im afraid its hard to pin point the location from this you could try looking around the latrine may be worth a go.

mh68 · #**113** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 10:25 AM

As Dogghound says, its hard to tell. Best way if you can is to try and follow the paths, eventually they`ll lead you to the sett.

Mark H

Jez · #**114** (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 11:11 AM

Thanks both.

It was more out of curiosity than anything, I don't want to be jumping over neighbour's fences looking for the set really lol

! 150ha so that would go as far as the railway embankment near by.

Cheers for the input!

mh68 · #**115** (**permalink**) 10-07-2008, 06:25 PM

Update on the Mammals pages. All of the terrestrial mammals now have track and dropping info. Further track/sign info will be added to each one as we get more suitable pics

Mark H

mh68 · #**116** (**permalink**) 10-07-2008, 10:38 PM

Right, birds nest shots. It`s been decided that its probably going to be best to leave these for the moment, due to it being a bit of a controversial issue at present. So, apart from birds nest shots, everything else is still welcome

Mark H

Deer Stalker · #**117** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh68

Update on the Mammals pages. All of the terrestrial mammals now have track and dropping info. Further track/sign info will be added to each one as we get more suitable pics

Mark H

Just had a quick look through.

Great job Mark.

mh68 · #**118** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deer Stalker

Just had a quick look through.

Great job Mark.

Thanks Si, if theres anything you can add to any of the pages go for it mate, anyone can contribute

Mark H

vole-woman · #**119** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 08:12 AM

All of the terrestrial mammals now have track and dropping info.

- Three cheers for Mark!

Gill Catton · #**120** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh68

Update on the Mammals pages. All of the terrestrial mammals now have track and dropping info. Further track/sign info will be added to each one as we get more suitable pics

Mark H

Cor I think we might struggle to get pictures of dolphin footprint or a porpoise nest hee hee

Joking aside though, I know how hard you have worked

Well done

mh68 · #**121** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 08:57 AM

Quite a way to go yet, but its getting there slowly

I`ve just added basic track info for the Seal pages, and now i`m trying to find blowhole ID info for the cetaceans

I had a thought last night (

)...for species like Wildcat, Polecat and Pine Marten, anyone visiting somewhere like the British Wildlife Centre could help us a lot by getting shots of droppings and tracks....probably somewhat easier than trying to find those of wild specimens...
Also if anyone can help a little with the Bat pages that would be great too as the info I have is pretty limited

Mark H

Gill Catton · #**122** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh68

Quite a way to go yet, but its getting there slowly

I`ve just added basic track info for the Seal pages, and now i`m trying to find blowhole ID info for the cetaceans

I had a thought last night (

)...for species like Wildcat, Polecat and Pine Marten, anyone visiting somewhere like the British Wildlife Centre could help us a lot by getting shots of droppings and tracks....probably somewhat easier than trying to find those of wild specimens...
Also if anyone can help a little with the Bat pages that would be great too as the info I have is pretty limited

Mark H

Ahhh but they won't be eating wild food will they? Which is likely to alter the appearance of the dropping?

mh68 · #**123** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Ahhh but they won't be eating wild food will they? Which is likely to alter the appearance of the dropping?

Yep i`d considered that Gill, but the basic dropping appearance would be pretty much the same in most cases i`d have thought,maybe only a difference in visible food remains, unless the diet was drastically different to that of a wild animal.Any such pics added to the pages would be noted as being from captive animals, so as to avoid any confusion

Mark H

wildherbalian85 · #**124** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 01:04 PM

Like these fox prints that were left in concrete?? The garden is private so other then a fox the only thing capable of leaving paw prints is a cat, so unless there is a "big" cat on the loose then im pretty sure these are the paw prints of one of our local fox's

mh68 · #**125** (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildherbalian85

Like these fox prints that were left in concrete?? The garden is private so other then a fox the only thing capable of leaving paw prints is a cat, so unless there is a "big" cat on the loose then im pretty sure these are the paw prints of one of our local fox's

Yep, Fox prints. Pics 2 and 4 with your hand in the shots give an excellent sense of scale, cheers for posting them

Mark H