Recently my welly investment has paid off quite substantially.  I’ve acquired a mink raft courtesy of a friend of mine who currently finds herself employed as a project officer for Scotland’s Water Vole Conservation Project.  She was in need of volunteers and I, being the fool I am, said yes.  So off we went one Friday morning (my day off I might add – and a 9am start – honestly – what a slave driver!) to find a suitable place to ‘dock’ the raft on a local stream.  The place we’ve chosen is a little bit treacherous and not to mention muddy at the bottom – wellies to the rescue!
The function of the raft is to enable us to monitor what species of animal are using the area.  It does this through the means of a clay pad embedded in the raft, which is then covered by a wooden ‘lid’.  Animals are generally very curious things, so any creature that happens to go for a wander through the tunnel will leave footprints, which are then identified and recorded by me on my next visit.

So, as often as I can manage I squelch along to the raft, attracting many curious glances from passers-by, and have a nosey inside.  My first attempt at this didn’t go particularly to plan.  Having reached the bottom of the, rather steep, embankment I decided to perch on the edge of the bank, take off the lid and have a look at the footprints from there.  The bank, however, had different ideas.  Being somewhat wet and soggy it obviously felt it couldn’t take my weight and started to cave in.  Luckily, being in possession of lightning reflexes, I leapt backwards as the mud disintegrated and landed on my bum in the mud.  Rather a muddy bum than a welly full of water I say!  Also luckily the mud didn’t really do any damage and I managed to endure the walk home without much humiliation.

The trip wasn’t in vain either – something had been scurrying over the pad (left).  My finger nail is for scale and, as you can see, it was something very small – too small to be water vole or rat, so our best deduction is a field vole, which would make sense considering the stream is surrounded by fields.  It’s a very worthwhile project to be helping out with, monitoring areas for, not only the presence of water vole but also, the spread of American Mink, which are non-native to Britain and predators of the vole.
I just hope the rest of my visits are less eventful than the first.

P.S. – I’ve also been very bold, and potentially naughty, this week and am currently awaiting the delivery of a very exciting package containing my new toy – can’t wait!!! x