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Water Vole Nest (Barnes, 2013)

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Smells like jasmine tea
Black, tarry and slimy when fresh; mucilaginous.

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By Joe and Tom.

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Vole Tracks (Suffolk Wildlife Trust, 2017)

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Pine martin (Martes martes)

Faeces –their faeces contains a sweet scent. Can contain hair and bone fragments, Faeces can show signs of a varied diet. They are twisted in shape 40 – 120mm in length and 12mm in width. Usually singularly deposited. Blackish in colour. To find accurate martin activity it is best to look for scat along falling logs or rock piles.

Tracking -

Camera traps –Can be used to confirm the occupation of den sights and to determine if they are being used for breeding in the months of March – June. Tracking can be difficult due to these animals being commonly arboreal therefore camera tracking nest sites are preferred. Pine marten’s preferred den sites are large holes and cavities in old trees.  Radio-tracking studies in Scotland have shown a majority of marten denning sites now occur in rocky crevices, cliffs and outcrops.  This may well be the case in Wales, especially in Snowdonia.

However, using camera traps close to breeding dens can cause disturbance and will require a survey license.

Habitat – Scottish highland, Northumberland and north Yorkshire. Their habitat mainly consists of woodland, mainly coniferous trees. Some are found on rocky moorland and hillside or cliffs covered with shrub.

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Tracks

Egg shaped

5 toe pads present

2 claws at the front-middle, 2 side claws may be seen.

Gait

Use all types of gait but most frequently seen is trotting.

Scat

Furry

Segmented

Long, thin – 5/8 inch in diameter

Tapered at either end

Poop in a pile in a prominent place

Pesaturo, J. (2014). http://ouroneacrefarm.com/tracking-red-fox-winter

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Feeding signs - Remains of fish bones, frogs and mollusks are often left by otters. However, these remains can also be left by other predators so look for obvious otter footprints or spraints. Image retrieved from http://iucnosg.org/Bulletin/Volume28/Duarte_et_al_2011.html

Otter tracks - Footprints range from 5 to 7cm with a large pad behind a 5-toed print. If the print is found on soft ground such as sand the webbing may also be visible. If the footprints are greater than 6.5cm this can indicate a male, with a cubs being less than 4.5cm.Otters facaes - Usually contains fish bones and in 3 to 4 sections. Can appear jelly like on rock surfaces.

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Signs of feeding: Hazzlenuts with irregular serrated edges, gnawed grass, plant stems normally cut on a 45degree angle and also eat bark. Food remains are also often left in neat piles.
Nest: Weave reeds adn sedges into nests, grass outside of nest is often grazed. Also small mounds of old material nearby entrance of burrow.
Faeces: Small cylindrical droppings of around 5.8mm in length and use latrines. Faeces is green in colour and has no smell when fresh.
Tracks: Tracks from forefeet leave a splayed star shaped prints and the hind feet are a lot shorter in the heel and more compact in width giving an over all longer appearance
Other: Often where there are signs of the American Mink there will often be water vole signs due to the mink preying on water vole.
Images:
Latrine (Gwent Wildlife Trust, 2017)
Gnawed Grass (Colmer, 2017)

References:
Macdonald, D. & Barrett, P. (1993). Field Guide Mammals, Britain and Europe. Collins: London.
Wembridge, D. & Bowen, C.P. (2010). Britain's Mammals. People's Trust for Endangered Species: Stansted.
Mammal Soceity. (2017). Identifying Water Voles. Retrieved from: http://www.cperc.org.uk/downloads/CPERC%20-%20Otter_Vole_ID.pdf
The Wildlife Trusts. (2017). American Mink. Retrieved from: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/american-mink

(El and Dylan)