Mains of Kinblethmont Solar Park Amphibian Records 2014

Quality Control

Method steps

1. The presence survey aimed to detect GCN in a pond with suitable habitat if any were present. No GCN were recorded, however other species of amphibians were identified during the survey. A presence survey requires four visits between mid-March and mid-June (two of which must be between mid-April and mid-May), in accordance with then-current guidance (English Nature 2001). Note that new guidance now recommends three of the four survey visits should be completed between mid-April and mid-May, but this was published after completion of surveys for this project (Natural England 2015). Survey visits must be undertaken under licence, and survey methods include bottle trapping, netting, visual searches (including for eggs) and torching (English Nature 2001; Natural England 2015). The pond at Kinblethmont was surveyed on 12th/13th May, 13th/14th May, 10th/11th June and 11th/12th June 2014. Methods are described below: On each survey visit the pond was first visited in the evening. Torching was undertaken first, when suitably dark, using a Clulite Clubman Deluxe CB2 1 million candlepower spotlight. After torching the pond, bottle traps were set around the pond perimeter, at 2m intervals for all accessible areas of shoreline. Bottle traps were collected the following morning ensuring they were never left unattended for longer than 10 hours in May and 8 hours in June in accordance with guidance (English Nature 2001; Natural England 2015). After collecting bottle traps, netting was undertaken as were egg searches (visual searches).