An email landed in my inbox a couple of days ago from the company that hosts this blog. It would seem that changes are on the way and changes no less that will enable me to be a bit more creative with the content and the way in which that content is displayed. From next March the current Blogware software that sits behind the words that you see will be replaced with WordPress which allows more flexibility with content and the way in which that content is managed. It will be fun experimenting with the new system when it's up and running and I should be able to include a lot more graphics in the posts than has been possible in the past.
The one thing that you can say about an Ecologists job is that no day is ever the same. My colleagues at PBA having spent yesterday rescuing native crayfish at Sheffield got down and dirty around Malham Tarn today collecting otter spraints. As I have mentioned before an MSc student from UCL is working here next summer on a project to identify the diet of our dales otters and it seemed a good idea to begin collecting during winter to establish if diet is seasonally influenced. The spraints are to be stored in the freezer at the office so if you happen to drop in and get offered some fishy smelling canapes just be a little suspicious.
The river has been very quiet over the past few days with a moderate flow – just right for an invert sample or two so if it's not bucketing it down tomorrow morning early light will see me stomping about in the river at New Inn looking for wee beasties.
Seasons greetings to you all.
Ian