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Diary - 2016
July : Summer measuring and more mammal surveys
We were due to perform the 20 year measurements of the Syrinx/Earthwatch/Chase/Melkwoud plots - a huge undertaking as there were something like 3000 trees planted in that area. The Syrinx Earthwatch single fertiliser and control plots were tackled and completed.
As in 2015 we used a trail camera and 'hedgehog tunnel' to detect footprints of small creatures under the tree cover. Again this showed several prints of wood mice or voles and the camera showed probable wood mice. One intriguing photo showed a blurred image of what might have been a stoat or a polecat or a mink, moving through the grass.
The use of pitfall traps to collect invertebrate samples was trialled in various parts of the site with limited success. Also checks were carried out on the oak trees over the site to identify which species they were or if they were hybrids. They seemed all to be hybrids to varying degrees.
