Hi, my name is Megan and I am currently completing my placement with Ecology by Design as part of my MSc in Species Identification and Survey Skills at Reading University. During this time, I hope to record my experiences by posting a blog once a month.

Slowworm moved during a reptile translocation.

June has by far been the busiest month yet with lots of bat surveys and reptile work. I have also completed several new types of survey this month: ground level tree assessment (GLTA), extended phase one survey and badger survey and monitoring.

At the beginning of the month I was able to get involved with a ground level tree assessment where we walked around the perimeter of the site observing different features on trees which could be used as potential roosting sites for bats. As well as improving my tree identification skills I was also able to learn about the different types of tree roost features and how they are formed.

This month has involved lots of bat surveys which has allowed me to improve my bat call identification skills. This month I have completed more dawn surveys which I have found really rewarding despite having to get up early. Being awake before dawn I have been able to see a range of wildlife besides bats during the survey including foxes, badgers and deer. Throughout June I have been involved in a variety of different sized surveys all of which have had different levels of bat activity. One of my most exciting surveys was a dawn re-entry of a site where brown-long eared bats were roosting and I was able to observe them returning into their roost.

I was also able to set up a reptile survey this month which allowed me to better understand which areas were the best for placing reptile mats and the types of mats that work the best for certain species. I hope to continue following this project throughout the next month as it would be great to see a project through from the beginning to the end.

Another interesting survey I was able to do this month is an extended phase 1 survey. This involved a walkover of the site in order to record the habitats, plant species and field signs of protected species. This was a great opportunity to practise all of the field skills I had gained so far and to improve my plant identification skills. A particular highlight of this survey was finding water vole latrines along the water course running through the site.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most this month has been the badger monitoring project. During the initial badger survey we identified and mapped any potential badger holes and deployed badger monitoring devices. This involved creating sticky traps by wrapping duck-tape around bamboo canes and '‘crossing’ the entrance to the hole. If the hole was being used by a badger or other mammal species the canes could easily be pushed out of the way leaving behind hairs. We also placed sand traps outside of each hole to record any footprints that were left by mammals going into or out of the hole. Once the monitoring had been deployed I returned every three to four days to check whether any of the canes had been moved, if any hairs had been caught on the tape or if any footprints had been left in the sand.

June has been a very busy month but I have enjoyed getting a range of survey experience. Next month I am looking forward to completing my first dormouse survey as well as completing more bat, reptile and badger surveys.