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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44876
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 26 4:19 pm Post subject:
most shrews are quite dark, i spose it helps but owls have ace hearing

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 26 6:06 pm Post subject:
I have never seen a live one, but have seen a few dead, and they all seemed to be dark, which was why I thought it might be a shrew.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44876
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 26 3:00 pm Post subject:

could it have been a mouse that needed a bath after meeting charcoal fines

it is possible it was a vole rather than a shrew, the two main woodland/ grassland spp of voles are quite dark

tail length is a good guide to what the small "mousey"critter might be
as are face and ear shapes, colour is a good guide if you have a typical example in good light
the sammisons of the mousecastle come in a variety of colours which would need several dulux pro colour swatches to call the shade a name or number

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 26 8:47 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately I didn't get a really good look at it Dpack. It was dark, but not charcoal coloured, so don't think it was covered in fines. It gave me the impression of being rather wide; in fact if it hadn't been moving so fast on the surface I would have thought it was a mole. We also don't have moles in that part of the wood as the soil is too thin. They prefer the valley where the soil is deeper and there are more worms.

We have seen voles, wood mice and dead shrews, so all present.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44876
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 26 4:03 pm Post subject:
wide is usually expectant with small mousy folk, maybe you will have more to try for a definitive ID whatever, you have small mammals in the woods which is ace

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44876
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 26 4:08 pm Post subject:
my sibley tent deco club chair was lifted with the "spread the weight" board and me on it, the mole had decided i was in the way proper strong wee beasts, respect, but they do smell inedible

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 26 9:27 pm Post subject:
We definitely have wood mice and dormice, sometimes rats, squirrels (could do without grey squirrels), voles and shrews. There are moles in some places, but think they would blunt their claws on the rest of it as it is chalk and flint.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 26 9:37 pm Post subject:
Today was definitely a butterfly and general insect day. Saw silver washed fritillaries, which admiral, probably speckled wood butterflies, so many hoverflies you could hear them buzz, and a hornet that got stuck in the window of the toilet in the woods. We had to let it out.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 26 5:42 pm Post subject:
The butterflies have been very active lately as it has been quite warm, May have seen a purple emperor yesterday, but it didn't come close enough to see properly. We seem to get a lot of moths in our charcoal; no idea what type so we call them charcoal moths. Think they find it warm as the charcoal is a poor conductor of heat.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44876
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 26 4:35 pm Post subject:
some butterflies and moths seek minerals, maybe the inorganic stuff in the charcoal attracts them

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 26 6:20 pm Post subject:
I don't think so. It is probably 98% plus pure carbon as we use a retort kiln and virgin wood. Purple emperors are the ones for salts; they love rotting meat or sweaty people.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Tue Jul 07, 26 8:13 pm Post subject:

Went dormouse surveying today and found 2 dormice. It was rather hot so they were extremely lively. We found 2 in one nest, but one of them ran up son's arm, over his back, up another persons arm and over her back and was last seen legging it at a rate of knots up a hazel stem. The other one in the box was a male, and that box has contained a female the last 2 months, so hoping they have set up home and we will find some babies next time. The other box contained a female who was slightly better behaved, but still took some catching.

Lots of butterflies about, but they, like the dormice, were rather lively, so little identification. Did manage to spot a red admiral, a small blue butterfly of some sort and either a speckled wood or ringlet, as it was about the right size and dark. Probably speckled wood as deep in the wood.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 17235

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 26 2:28 pm Post subject:

The last dormouse survey last weekend found a mother and 4 juveniles. We managed to catch the mother and 2 offspring, but 2 got away. They were probably old enough to forage, but not leave the nest completely, so should have found their way back. We have a camera set up on that box now, so may see them leave.

The last few days it has been very hot here, and there are loads of insects everywhere in the woods. Probably a good thing in many ways, but we can do without mosquitos and other bitey things. Luckily the horse fly season is over.

This morning as we went in, we saw a roe buck standing watching us drive by. They are inclined to be a bit cheeky, and this one didn't seem the least bit bothered by us. Wearing his summer colour of quite bright brown coat.

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