Otter and Water Vole Surveys

Otter and water vole surveys

Otter and water vole surveys are therefore undertaken by experienced ecologists to establish their likely absence or presence using different techniques depending on the site being surveyed and time of year. There are restricted times of the year when certain surveys are possible. 

Methods used for both otter and water vole surveys include searches for signs of activity and presence, including faeces (such as otter spraint or water vole droppings), latrines, feeding stations, burrows, lawns, nests, footprints, slides, and runways.

The objective for each survey is to confirm how otter or water vole uses a site and make an estimate on the population size, so proportionate mitigation or compensation measures can be implemented under a mitigation licence.