This summary details the results of the 2018 Two Day Survey. A fuller interpretation is not included with the summary of results, but it is worth noting that the adjudicated ranges are not a ‘count’ of otters, our data can easily be taken out of context and repeated in other publications.
See attached pdf
To better understand our survey and its results, our methods and scoring need to be understood.
Many other factors then need to be considered; the very differing landscapes across our well watered county, local barriers both temporary and permanent, the survey coverage, the weather, and many other factors which are not all included in our published summaries.
The two day event is detailed in many sections of this website, a good description by James Williams, who introduced the survey and its method of scoring in 1995, can be found under ‘Somerset Surveys’ in ‘Records and Publications’. The post includes an extract written in 2010, and two reports on the two day survey, one to the IOSF fishing conference held in Scotland and one to the IUCN conference held in Italy, Pavia. Both written in 2012.
A direct link to this post is below;
http://www.somersetottergroup.org.uk/archives/1458
see also ‘survey methods’ under ‘about us’
http://www.somersetottergroup.org.uk/94-2/survey-methods