After a delayed and cold start to Spring, animals are catching up quickly and getting ready to breed.

Great crested newts are just about reaching their maximum numbers in their breeding ponds and bats are starting to arrive at their chosen maternity roost sites, out of hibernation.

Any developments with potential great crested newts need to have the surveys started by the middle of May to meet the optimum survey period as set by Natural England.

Bat surveys for potential maternity roosts can now commence, with animals starting to arrive at roost sites.

Written by: Nathan Duszynski

Principal Ecologist

Nathan is a University of Reading postgraduate with a M.Sc in Species Identification and Surveying, and an Aberystwyth University graduate with a B.Sc Honors Degree in Zoology. Having started out as an Assistant Ecologist, he has progressed to Principal Ecologist and conducted various protected species surveys for great crested newts, reptiles, barn owls, hazel dormice, badgers and bats. Nathan currently holds a Natural England level 1 great crested newt and level 2 bat license and is working toward his level 3 and 4 bat and level 1 hazel dormouse license.

The main ecological survey season is now well underway with great crested newt, bat and bird surveys all reaching a very busy time in the year

After a delayed and cold start to Spring, animals are catching up quickly and getting ready to breed.

Written by: Nathan Duszynski