All Outputs (11)

Relative Performance and Practicality of Night Vision Aids and Naked Eye Counts for Emerging Bats (2025)
Journal Article
Mitchell, L., Findlay, M., Ingledew, R., & White, P. (2025). Relative Performance and Practicality of Night Vision Aids and Naked Eye Counts for Emerging Bats. In Practice (CIEEM), 127, 41-46

The Bat Conservation Trust’s Good Practice Guidelines now require the use of night vision aids for bat emergence surveys. In light of this, we compared the efficacy and efficiency of three bat emergence roost count methods: naked eye counts, infrared... Read More about Relative Performance and Practicality of Night Vision Aids and Naked Eye Counts for Emerging Bats.

Bots on the Ground vs Boots on the Ground: The Future of Robots in Terrestrial Ecological Surveying (2025)
Journal Article
White, P., Le Goff, L., Emery, L., Abrahams, C., Findlay, M., Cook, J., Macleod, K., Deacon, L., Reason, P., Stanhope, K., Wale, M., Hart, E., & Diele, K. (2025). Bots on the Ground vs Boots on the Ground: The Future of Robots in Terrestrial Ecological Surveying. In Practice (CIEEM), 27, 47-52

At the 2023 CIEEM Modernising Ecology conference, a robot greeted the attendees as they arrived. Was it a glimpse into the future? As with other technologies, robots have the potential to revolutionise ecological surveying, yet this comes with both o... Read More about Bots on the Ground vs Boots on the Ground: The Future of Robots in Terrestrial Ecological Surveying.

Impacts of forest extent, configuration and landscape context on presence of declining breeding Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and implications for planning new woodland (2024)
Journal Article
McGrory, R. E., Briers, R. A., Tomlin, C., Findlay, M. A., Kerslake, L. J., Riddle, N., & White, P. J. (2024). Impacts of forest extent, configuration and landscape context on presence of declining breeding Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and implications for planning new woodland. Forest Ecology and Management, 572, Article 122281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122281

In response to the combined impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises, as well as for timber security and increased recreational access to green spaces, there is a global drive to increase tree cover. In the UK, an estimated 1.5 million ha of af... Read More about Impacts of forest extent, configuration and landscape context on presence of declining breeding Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and implications for planning new woodland.

Surveying Birds in Open Habitats near Proposed Woodland Creation Schemes: What is the Effect of Having Fewer Visits? (2024)
Journal Article
Borthwick, M. D., Kerslake, L., Findlay, M., Briers, R. A., Tomlin, C., Riddle, N., & White, P. J. (2024). Surveying Birds in Open Habitats near Proposed Woodland Creation Schemes: What is the Effect of Having Fewer Visits?. In Practice (CIEEM), 124, 32-37

In relation to new woodland creation in England, the Forestry Commission (FC) may require breeding bird surveys of proposed sites to assess suitability for planting or natural colonisation. Previous protocols required six visits, but we wanted to tes... Read More about Surveying Birds in Open Habitats near Proposed Woodland Creation Schemes: What is the Effect of Having Fewer Visits?.

Do UK survey licenses for otter support best practice? (2024)
Journal Article
White, P., & Findlay, M. (2024). Do UK survey licenses for otter support best practice?. In Practice (CIEEM), 48-52

Under the Habitats Regulations, resting/breeding places of otters (Lutra lutra) are protected from damage and disturbance, and ecologists are expected to identify such structures. Following an extensive programme of research, we now believe there is... Read More about Do UK survey licenses for otter support best practice?.

Assessment of the accuracy of counting large ungulate species (red deer Cervus elaphus) with UAV‐mounted thermal infrared cameras during night flights (2023)
Journal Article
Zabel, F., Findlay, M. A., & White, P. J. C. (2023). Assessment of the accuracy of counting large ungulate species (red deer Cervus elaphus) with UAV‐mounted thermal infrared cameras during night flights. Wildlife Biology, 2023(3), Article e01071. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01071

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used in wildlife surveying, including estimation of population densities. It is essential that we evaluate and test new survey methods to guide optimal sampling strategies. This study aimed to assess t... Read More about Assessment of the accuracy of counting large ungulate species (red deer Cervus elaphus) with UAV‐mounted thermal infrared cameras during night flights.

An evidence-based approach to identifying resting sites of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) from camera-trap and field-sign data (2022)
Journal Article
Findlay, M. A., Briers, R. A., Ingledew, R. P., & James Ciaran White, P. (2023). An evidence-based approach to identifying resting sites of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) from camera-trap and field-sign data. Wildlife Biology, 2023(1), Article e01036. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01036

Mammals' resting sites (dens) are important features of their ecology. Eurasian otter Lutra lutra resting sites are strictly protected by UK and European legislation and are ostensibly identified from associated field-signs. This legislation is diffi... Read More about An evidence-based approach to identifying resting sites of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) from camera-trap and field-sign data.

Optimisation of monitoring using camera-traps and field evidence when identifying Eurasian otter Lutra lutra resting or breeding sites (2021)
Thesis
Findlay, M. Optimisation of monitoring using camera-traps and field evidence when identifying Eurasian otter Lutra lutra resting or breeding sites. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2809424

The Eurasian otter Lutra lutra and its resting places are protected by EU and UK legislation. Consultant ecologists must identify resting sites so they can be protected during developments. Currently, consultants usually use field-signs, but radio-te... Read More about Optimisation of monitoring using camera-traps and field evidence when identifying Eurasian otter Lutra lutra resting or breeding sites.

Component processes of detection probability in camera-trap studies: understanding the occurrence of false-negatives (2020)
Journal Article
Findlay, M. A., Briers, R. A., & White, P. J. C. (2020). Component processes of detection probability in camera-trap studies: understanding the occurrence of false-negatives. Mammal Research, 65, 167-180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-020-00478-y

Camera-trap studies in the wild record true-positive data, but data loss from false-negatives (i.e. an animal is present but not recorded) is likely to vary and widely impact data quality. Detection probability is defined as the probability of record... Read More about Component processes of detection probability in camera-trap studies: understanding the occurrence of false-negatives.

Optimising camera trap data quality at mammal resting places. (2018)
Journal Article
Findlay, M. A., Briers, R. A., & White, P. J. C. (2018). Optimising camera trap data quality at mammal resting places. In Practice, 24-28

A thorough understanding of how camera traps function is essential for ensuring correct set-up and quality of data. We illustrate the challenges through a case study of camera trapping an otter Lutra lutra resting and breeding place. Appropriate surv... Read More about Optimising camera trap data quality at mammal resting places..

Developing an empirical approach to optimal camera-trap deployment at mammal resting sites: evidence from a longitudinal study of an otter Lutra lutra holt (2017)
Journal Article
Findlay, M., Briers, R., Diamond, N., & White, P. (2017). Developing an empirical approach to optimal camera-trap deployment at mammal resting sites: evidence from a longitudinal study of an otter Lutra lutra holt. European journal of wildlife research, 63(6), Article 96

The study of nocturnal mammals relies on indirect evidence or invasive methods involving capture and tagging of individuals. Indirect methods are prone to error, while capture and tagging mammals have logistical and ethical considerations. Off-the-sh... Read More about Developing an empirical approach to optimal camera-trap deployment at mammal resting sites: evidence from a longitudinal study of an otter Lutra lutra holt.