Proposed solar farm – Traffwll, Anglesey

Proposed survey methodology for Water Voles and Otters

Overview

All waterways within the parcels of land under the proposal will be surveyed for water vole and otter presence. One year of survey effort in 2019 will be sufficient. Surveys will be carried out in May 2019.

Water Voles – waterways will be surveyed in lengths of 100m, which will be marked on the map and used to make population estimates (see Figure 1). Surveyors will slowly survey along each 100m section, looking for signs of latrines, feeding burrows, nests and sightings of water voles. If the vegetation is particularly thick at some points the bank can be “scalloped” where the bank is surveyed every 2 metres.

Otters – waterways will be surveyed in lengths of 100m at the same time as the water vole surveys. Surveyors will look for signs of otters, spraints, tracks, feeding remains, otter slides, holts and couches.

Figure 1. Water vole and otter surveys in relation to the proposed development areas.

Waterways to survey for water voles and otters in 100m sections