Checking out my ponds

There's still some snow on the ground, but the weather has been a little warmer (well, at least not sub-zero) and it does feel better without those strong arctic winds.

This week I've checked out ponds on two sites for surveying later in the year, and possible inclusion in my project.

On Wednesday I had a tour round my local nature reserve, and the wildlife trust is more than happy to let me loose as they will also benefit from the data. We visited 12 ponds at Rothwell Country Park, plus there was one we couldn't find, and one that I think was a mapping error. The ponds are relatively new so it will be interesting to find out what wildlife is becoming established there. We deployed the newt egg strips in a couple of the ponds, though most of them had sufficient vegetation anyway.  On the way back we discovered what we thought was frog spawn in the stream along the track, but after a bit of prodding our excitement waned - it was just air bubbles mascarading as frog spawn.

Yesterday I had a walk around what I think will be my 'official' pond surveying location, Letchmire Pastures. This is another relatively new site, reclaimed from an old coal mining area. Although it is a small site, some of the ponds are much larger, and in high water all join up to form what I would consider a lake rather than a pond - with fish and ducks, I'm not sure what I will find. However there are some smaller ponds with a range of reeds and overhanging vegetation. It's allegedly a good site for newts and toads, but I think it was too cold when I was there.

With another half a dozen potential ponds close to home, I will have more than twenty five altogether, which I think is enough to carry out a scientific study. I just need to think of a hypothesis now!

Newt egg strips

My first attemp at making newt egg strips. All you need is a black rubbish bag, some sticks and stones.  The bag is shredded into strips, weighted down with stones, then fixed in the bottom of a pond with a cane or stick. Full instructions can be found here.
Newts lay their eggs on the leaves of submerged plants, folding the leaf over the egg to protect it. The idea is that the plastic strips plays the same role of the leaf - in fact it is more pliable so easier for the newts to use. It also makes it easier for the surveyor at a later day, because if newts are present in the pond they are likely to have laid eggs on the strips, which are faster to find than searching through the vegetation.
Hopefully I will get permission to deploy some of these in my survey ponds, and we can see if they work. This is still an experimental process in it's infancy, so it would be good to get some positive results.

Great crested newts

Luckily there was no more snow overnight, and the roads were not icy at all, so we made it to the PondNet training course safely and actually arrived early.  We spent the morning in the classroom learning about pond surveying techniques, amphibian ecology and how to identify/distinguish the different species. After lunch we were supposed to be heading out to the local pond to try out some of the techniques, but it was still bitterly cold with snow on the ground and we were unlikely to find anything. However we did get the change to look at and and handle some live samples that the trainer had brought with her, so I got to hold my first great crested newt. What a beautiful animal!  I can't wait for the weather to warm up now so that I can get out and start searching my local ponds. While I am waiting for my survey area to be allocated, I am going to make some newt egg strips ready for deployment - these are basically 'fake' plants that the newts use to lay their eggs on.  Thank you PondNet for an enjoyable and informative day.

Go away snow!

I am optimistically packing my bag for tomorrow's pond surveying course. Unfortunately the snow is still falling, and I am not sure we will make it off the estate tomorrow, never mind over to East Yorkshire. I was looking forward to learning more about frogs and newts, and potentially some skills I can use for my S216 project. Please stop snowing!

Starting to pack ...

Sometimes I regret having been a Girl Guide ... the old motto 'be prepared' follows you round for the rest of your life!  I was checking out the kit list for my trip yesterday, and as a result I have gone a bit mad at the chemists. I now have a plentiful supply of painkillers (assorted), diahorrea relief, anti-histamine, wipes (various), insect repellent and sun tan lotion. I need to remember to leave room in my bag for clothes! I'm still on the hunt for biodegradable soap, but did manage to get some cool sunglasses that will keep me safe from the bright sun and the pecking penguins.  46 days until departure ...

North of England Bat Conference

I gave up my Saturday morning lie in for a 9am start at the Bat Conservation Trust North of England conference at Leeds Carnegie.  There was an interesting programme of talks throughout the day.  Two in particular stuck with me, and both unfortunately are related to the challenges bats face.  The first was about white nose syndrome, a fungal disease Geomyces destructans that has had a devastating impact in the eastern United States. This raised questions about the impact on the wider environment, such as increase in insect numbers and the knock on impact this could have (eg. wider use of insecticides). It was interesting that this is present in Europe but so far we are not seeing the same harmful effects.  In contrast, the second was around engineering/technology, and the impact of breathable roofing membrane (BRM). Bats can become entangled in the fine, long polymer chains of the plasticised material, so whilst this new material is an advance in building design, it is having a negative impact on bat colonies, with tens of bats being killed in some roosts.

In the afternoon, I attended a workshop entitled ‘Introduction to Sound Analysis’. It was interesting to learn about the different frequencies and patterns of bat calls, and we had the opportunity to practice using BatSound software to analyse some sounds, with a short test at the end.  This has inspired me to find out more about this type of fieldwork.

Pond Plants

I ordered some new ponds plants and hessian cloth on e-bay, and they turned up last weekend. Due to the cold weather (and the pond being frozen!), I kept these inside for the last few days.

Over the past few evenings, some careful sewing has turned the hessian squares into pocket size plant containers that fit neatly round the ledge of the pond. I've now planted these up, and last night the little plants actually made it to the pond.

They still look a little bit weedy, but hopefully these will grow and provide some shelter for the tadpoles that will no doubt arrive in due course. 

Penguin Chuckles

Got this card for my birthday and it made me smile ... I will definitely resemble the female penguin when I go on my trip. My bag is already starting to fill up, and I haven't put any clothes in yet ...!

Wild Workshops

I have just posted off a booking form and cheque to attend a couple of Wild Workshops later this spring/summer.  These are training days organised by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and in this case in association with a new field centre in the Yorkshire Dales, Nethergill Farm.

The first is a river workshop, which will include kick sampling for invertebrates. This will be good for me, as it is something I will miss from the S216 field trip when I am away in South Africa.

The second is a peat workshop, looking at plant species, bog surveying and restoration techniques.  I'm hoping this will help embed the work I did with Leeds Uni last year, and put it into a bit of context.

Freshwater and peat upland areas both interest me, so it was great to find out about these opportunities. And all thanks to Twitter!

A Day of Needles

I am one step closer to my penguin expedition today.  This evening I went to the doctor's for my jabs. I was only expecting one for Hepatitis A, but I ended up coming away with one for Tetanus too.  It's over 10 years since I had my last shot, and it is best that I keep it up to date as it is caught from soil ... and I intend getting my hands dirty.  I'm not sure which arm got which injection, but the right one hurt more at the time, and is still painful :(

This morning I also did my bit and gave blood. I drove down, gave blood, and came home all within an hour - I think that's a record. Being on the interval study and having a set appointment time has it's advantages!

The Frogs are Awakening

We spent most of Sunday in the back garden, chopping up some of the wood that people have kindly given us, and building a log store alongside the garden shed.

It was pleasing to see a frog hopping around the pond, but he jumped in before we could get a good look. A sweep of the net and we found at least three frogs have emerged so far ... two boys and one girl. Hopefully we will get some frog spawn soon!

We only get Common Frogs in our pond, but we are going on a course later in the month to learn more about Amphibian Surveys. This is through a project called PondNet run through Pond Conservation.  It will allow me to get some hands on experience surveying local ponds and their wildlife, and hopefully some contact with some less common species.