Went dormouse surveying today. No dormice or nests found, but the boxes seem to have been appropriated by birds. Some are definitely bluetits as we found some on eggs in them. The one I found was mildly disgruntled; spread its wings, so I put the lid back on quick. One flew out at the woman opening the box. Also found a bumble bee setting up home in another one. One possibly either long tailed tit or dormouse with opinion favouring long tailed tit.
A young roe deer, possibly a last years fawn has taken to walking through our 'yard'. I don't mind at about midday on Sunday, but 6.30 am on Saturday is a bit much. I triggered our security camera, so had a sudden awakening yesterday morning.
Had to go to the woods to pick up more charcoal for delivery, and a hare ran along the track in front of us, stopping every so often, and did the same the other way on the way back. Wonder if she has leverets hidden near there and was trying to lead us away.
Went to a coppice group meeting yesterday evening and lots of birds. Think they were swifts; loads of them both high and low after the insects. Certainly plenty of them around as we retreated from the mossies late in the evening. Also saw a red kite and a couple of buzzards. In the woods we have heard blackcap, thrush, blackbird and wren lately, but no owls at present.
Did a dormouse survey today and found one torpid female in the same box that one was found in last month. She was really lovely, but didn't want to move her tail or back paws so we could sex her. Sadly there were a few bluetit nests that had dead chicks, but several more that were empty so assume the chicks fledged. Other boxes had enclosed birds nests in, so need to find out what they are, and a few more had signs of woodmice.
Lots of birds around; heard several thrushes, and lots of smaller birds flying around. There seems to be some bird nesting in the log store as I saw adult birds flying in there to feed chicks. Also saw a robin going the other way with food in its beak, so assume that has a nest too.
On the way out we saw a rabbit by the gate disappearing into the undergrowth where we have seen it before.
The two surveyers though not, as one had eggs and they were too large for a wren. It appears long tailed tits also build enclosed nests. and they are a bit bigger than a wren. We do have them in the woods, so quite possibly them.
Today I saw a small, very dark animal skittering along the ground. Didn't get a good look as it disappeared very fast, but it was too dark for a wood mouse, so may have been a shrew.
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
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.
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.
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.
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