Welcome to Professional Ecological Surveys
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Phase 1 & Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey
The Phase 1 Habitat Survey will map all habitats across a site. An Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey expand the scope of the Phase 1 Habitat Survey to include assessment of protected and notable species. These can include habitats for breeding birds, trees which have features for roosting bats or grasslands with potential for reptiles.
Bird Survey
There is a full range of bird surveys that can be conducted, breeding bird surveys of five visits in the spring, winter bird surveys of six visits from October to March. Then there are species specific surveys especially for protected Schedule 1 WCA species, estaurine surveys including tidal and roosting waders, migration surveys during the spring and autumn as well as waterbirds WeBS.
Great Crested Newt Survey
Great crested newt surveys are seasonally constrained. Pond surveys, to determine Presence/absence and population size, are carried out between mid-March and mid-June. Within the survey multiple visits are required (a minimum of four and six if presence is determined), with at least half of these visits during the period between mid-April and mid-May.
eDNA surveys can be carried, if the results are positive then a presence/absence survey is still required.
Badger Survey
Badger surveys involve recording signs of badgers and badger activity these can include: paths, footprints, setts, bedding, hairs and latrines.
Trail cameras can also be used at the sett to discover occupancy and usage.
Reptile Survey
Reptile surveys are typically undertaken in the optimal time of year, within April and May or September in suitable conditions.
Surveys can involve direct observation and the use of artificial refuges which are placed in the survey area, requiring seven survey visits to determine presence/absence.
Otter and water voles
Otter surveys can be undertaken throughout the year, the evidence that can confirm presence include; spraints, footprints and holts.
Water vole surveys are optimally carried out between April and September when they are most active. To confirm their presence during a survey a number of signs can be found which are latrines, burrows and feeding remains.
Botanical Survey
These surveys include Phase 1 Habitat surveys, species specific including those on Schedule 8 WCA, National Vegetation Classification (NVC) and hedgerows under the 1997 regulations.
These surveys are optimally conducted between April and September.
Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey
The optimal period for Butterfly and Dragonfly Surveys is May to mid-September.
The surveys can be carried out using the UK’s Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS) which involves walking a transect, if long term monitoring is required. A site wide survey for adult butterflies and dragonflies can also be carried out for protected and rare species by walking the entire site at an appropriate time of day. Species such as brown hairstreak can also be surveyed as caterpillars using ultraviolet torches as they luminesce under this light.
Trail Cameras and Thermal surveys
Trail cameras can be specially useful for badger and otter to determine either prescence/absence or occupancy and usage of holts or setts
Thermal equipment can be using in surveys for nocturnal habitat selection by birds as well as helping in nest finding. This equipment can also be used for other noctural animals such as badger.