Hi, my name is Olyvia and I am currently finishing my second month as an intern at Ecology By Design as a component of my MSc Species Identification and Survey Skills course. This month has been just as busy (maybe even busier!) and diverse as my first month working at EBD.

The bat survey season kicked off, with the first week of the month involving bat data call analysis training including learning how to complete methodologies and use equipment to complete bat activity surveys and bat transects. The equipment used during these surveys record the high frequency echolocation calls that bats produce; each species call has a distinctive peak frequency, frequency modulation structure, call duration, and interval between call pulses which can aid in identification to species level. During activity surveys the call frequency and behaviour of bats in the area are reported to gain an understanding if the site of interest is used as a roosting site and to consider how bats use the surrounding area. The weather was very unpredictable with a number of bat surveys needing to be cancelled due to unsuitable conditions. This provided an insight into the complexities of survey organisation and planning and the importance of the teams’ adaptability.

This month I also had the opportunity to set up and monitor badger footprint traps and motion cameras. The setting up of footprint traps involved the placement of sand and “sticky sticks” (a bamboo cane with double sided tape surrounding it) at the entrance of the potential set. Badgers which enter the set may leave footprints in the sand which can aid in their identification and distinguish the use of the hole by foxes or rabbits. Should badgers knock over the sticky sticks on entry to the sett, the guard hairs from their coat can become attached to the tape. Badger hairs are distinctively bristly which can aid in their identification from other mammals. One of the setts at a site I monitored did have the sticks knocked over, however the hairs were likely from rabbits.

This month I gained more experience with newt surveys, including collecting eDNA samples from ponds, bottle trapping, egg searching and torching methodologies. Personal highlights include finding 5 great crested newt females in one very small pond and becoming more confident distinguishing female smooth and female palmate newts.

I completed my first breeding bird survey (BBS) which I really enjoyed, especially as I had the opportunity to see a large number of sand martins and their nests. The identification of birds from their songs is definitively a skill I would like to improve upon in the future.

Interspersed between these surveys I also assisted in the completion of Preliminary Roost Assessments (PRAs), Preliminary Ecological Assessments (PEAs), Ground Level Tree Assessments (GLTAs) and completed desk studies for PEA reporting. The whole team received training on the new UK Habitat Classification system (UKHABs) to aid in the transition away from the more traditional Phase 1 Habitat Classification.

Overall, this month has been really enjoyable and just the right amount of challenging- topped off by having the opportunity to visit some nice areas of the country including seeing these deer in the New Forest.