Beaver Tracking

Dune part 2 is pretty good if you're thinking of seeing it.  It's pretty loud though, I took my earplugs and was glad I did. My favourite bit was the design of the thumpers, they make a really satisfying sounds.

I took myself to Loch Lomond this morning to take part in a learn to track mammals event run by one of the rangers there.  We learnt the differences between fox, badger, otter and beaver foot prints and then went on a wander around the reserve to see what we could find.  There have been two groups of beavers reintroduced to the reserve in the past couple of years and there was lots of evidence of their activity to be found - sticks nibbled at the right angle, bark stripped neatly, even what the ranger thinks is a scent mound (it looks like a pile of mud).  The most obvious sign was what they have done to one of the foot bridges, this post was sacrificed with the others being wrapped in chicken wire to keep them safe (which is a could effective solution to people concerned about them felling particular trees). 

Saw lots of prints, mainly deer but some otter, fox and badger too.  Beaver footprints are huge - about as big as your hand and they kinda of look like they have bony fingers.  All in all a pleasant day, though it was bitterly cold out. Feeling a bit whacked out now so not doing much this evening.