Mink Rafts deployed in the Irvine Catchment

by | Jan 14, 2011 | General

Bioforce staff eager to assist with our water voles project have agreed to monitor mink rafts on the lower Irvine within walking distance of their premises. Yesterday, two rafts were deployed on a small burn in the Shewalton area. More are planned for the ponds and...

Ayr glacier

by | Jan 2, 2011 | General

Over the last few weeks the lower River Ayr has looked more like a glacier than a river. On the 11th December a thaw in the cold weather resulted in a small rise in the river level. This was enough to carry a lot of the ice which had built up in the river downstream,...

Newsletter 2010

by | Dec 20, 2010 | General

Christmas Raffle Draw Winners Dec 15, 2010 Annual Christmas Raffle Draw 2010 Winners The Annual Christmas Raffle Draw was made by Mr John Scott MSP last Friday, and the winners are as follows :- Donor                                                ...

Winter Grayling

by | Nov 24, 2010 | General

We spent a few hours on the middle River Ayr this morning collecting samples for a project. It was a beautiful day and we were all relieved to be out of the office for a change. With the hard frost and low water levels, our thoughts turned to Grayling fishing which...

Water Voles heading to Cornwall

by | Nov 23, 2010 | Conservation

Our water voles are now heading to Cornwall. Edinburgh Zoo have kindly transported our voles to Derek Gow’s premesis in Cornwall where they will shortly be introduced to the breeding programme. We look forward to January when they will be introduced to potential...

Glenmuir Big Trout

by | Sep 15, 2010 | General

During electrofishing surveys we occasionally come across a fish that stands out for some reason or another. In 2009 when surveying a site on the Glenmuir Water in the upper reaches of the Ayr Catchment (closed to fishing), we caught a brown trout in a pool below a...

Lower Doon fishers/proprietors, we need your help!

by | Aug 11, 2010 | General

  Thanks to funding from SEPA and the Doon Fishery Board we have been able to make a start on controlling invasive weeds on the Doon. Himalayan balsam is was well established on the Chapleton Burn (the one that flows in at Cassillis) but with the enthusiastic help of...

Good first day electrofishing

by | Jul 9, 2010 | General

  It was good to get out electrofishing today, our first proper day surveying, although the Salmon in the Classroom project had involved a few mini surveys.   Gillian and myself, with the assistance of Galston Angling Club members surveyed a few tributary sites in the...