Micro/pocket fieldsigns guide

[vole-woman]

I wanted to share with you this bit of kit I've just put together. I copied a few images from a Mammal Society leaflet showing tracks, added any notes that had got sheared off, then laminated the pictures, poked holes in the top and tied them with cotton. The idea is this will slip inside a jeans pocket, and I've customized it to include just the mammals I'm interested in. It's a lot less cumbersome than even the smallest pocket book guide, and is waterproof.

I wondered about the legitimacy of copying images but decided that if I'd aready bought the leaflet, and the images were for personal use only, I was probably OK. Or you could just buy the mammal Society guide and cut that up instead (it's ready-laminated).

(Laminators are for sale in Lidl at the moment pretty cheap.)

[camo]

Hi VW

That looks a good idea, especially if the tracks are life siz. Now let me guess what is in your book; WaterVole, Otter, Mink, Rat and fox!

Roy

[vole-woman]

Spot on! Plus weasel and stoat, because they sometimes pop onto my rafts.

[shirl]

A great idea Kate, I did something A4 sized & laminated recently to hand out to countryside rangers, it's so useful when you are out in the field. I usually get the old ruler out , photograph and then look at it later, but it's far better to get an id whilst you are there.

Shirl

[camo]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Spot on! Plus weasel and stoat, because they sometimes pop onto my rafts.

Wow what a collection that would be a good day! Do you get Weasel & Stoat tracks on the clay pads? I have only had oorhen Coot and Mink!

What with your penny on a string, your laminated guides what else do you carry. I find I need a torch for checking under bridges, a pooh prodding long stick which also tests water depth, camera for evidence and binoculeurs for checking far bank.

Roy

[vole-woman]

It's an interesting question, Roy. I actually did a blog post about kit here: About a Brook: kit but my most useful item, after the waders or wellies/penny/camera is my litter picker. I use it as a stick, to lean on and help me balance, to test the water depth, but also to part grass and sometimes to pick up items that would otherwise be out of reach.

I'm going to reproduce the body of the blog post, in case the external link alone isn't allowed:

* wellies/waders
* camera
* gloves to protect from scratches and germs (can be latex gloves if gardening ones make you too clumsy)
* gadget for scale - coin attached to a length of fishing twine wound round a cork
* pole/stick/grabber - useful for helping you balance as you scramble up and down banks, or test the depth of mud before you step into water
* little bag or pot for putting interesting samples in, eg pieces of feeding
* bottle of clean water for smoothing out the clay tracking compartment on the mink raft
* ruler for smoothing out clay, plus to help with scale in photographs
* ID book to help with tracks and scat etc - my favourite's Rob Strachan's Mammal Detective

You might also take along a phone, spare camera battery, sterile hand wipes or alcohol-based hand cleanser, binoculars/scope (though the zoom on a camera works quite well for this purpose), handheld GPS tracker for grid references, a sketch map and pencil on a clipboard (essential for proper survey recording).

[vole-woman]

I'll just add, from a health and safety point of view, a phone is a must.

[The Woodman]

You raised a point about scale, vole woman. I find many of the excellent images posted on this site sometimes difficult to ID because of scale (apart from yours and shirls!).

For example, your recent pics of prints and spraints. You often include a coin on a string that makes me smile every time I see it because it's a novel way to scale an image (and cheap at £0.01!). Prints, leaves, flowers etc are all easier to ID with a scale. I agree that it transforms the image into a "contrived" one, but if the purpose of taking the picture is for ID, then so be it. Another natural pic can be taken without scale for the album or reference collection.

I've been trying to find the perfect scale for prints and scats for ages and have now found one courtesy of a Scenes of Crime equipment supplier.



This gadget would fit the bill for me, 60 mm on two axises but purchasing one from the supplier doubles the cost with the postage to a horrendous £30ish.

I have spoken to the manufacturer and they will ony sell me a minimum of five at around £17 each! I would use two so that leaves three to sell......

If anyone knows of a similar product (same size) could they let me know please.

[vole-woman]

Ooh, that looks good. I agree about the price!!! Couldn't you print it out (to the right scale), mount it on card and laminate it?

[The Woodman]

That might be the only option left to me. I could do with borrowing one from a SoCO and photocopying/scanning it. I'll let you know how I get on.