Sunshine at last and, happily, though I'm back at work after an exciting weekend, Fox and I were out and about enjoying it. The data loggers are now back out at Warcop recording any activity by voles that I released last year.
Every vole has a microchip which can be read by special antenna attached to a data logger. The antenna sits out on a vole run or on a latrine and, when a chipped vole runs past it, information about the time and date is stored until I download it onto my laptop.
The first recording period successfully showed 3 of last year's voles using that particular area of pond! Very exciting stuff. Vole 2D5D, male, was a large juvenile when released last year very close to the location of the data logger in pen R3. He's obviously either a good surviver and secured the territory by the release pen, or he's very lazy as he has only moved 30 meters!
Vole 236A, male, was a rather small juvenile who was released from pen G10 on Goulds Tarn. He has been rather more adventurous and has travelled 0.8km to his current location.
Vole 22AF is a little female who was released at R7, 135 meters from her current recorded position at the bottom end of the tarn.
One has to wonder what the situation is between these three!
Fox didn't find the vole information terribly exciting. However, he did enjoy becoming a swamp dog!
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