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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

John's mammals 2007 (1 Viewer)

Farnboro John

Well-known member
Thought I'd share keeping track of my mammal list in the British Isles this year. I managed 51 a few years ago, probably won't get that this year but who knows?

I didn't get out until lunchtime on 1st Jan, felt like death when I woke up, still, self-inflicted so even I don't sympathise with me.

A visit to Moor Green Lakes found Rabbits including some only weeks old - any thought of seasonal breeding is gone in this mild winter. Grey Squirrels were pirating peanuts from feeders and at least four Roe Deer were ambling about the islands in Colebrook Lake and the rough grass to the west.

Back to work this morning (2 Jan) I found another four Roe Deer on the lawn outside my office.

HNY everybody

John
 
Four Roe Deer on the lawn outside my office this morning and a Grey Squirrel trying to commit suicide in front of the car. It being dark on the way in and out is not helping but I might take off early this afternoon to sneak a bit of local patch twilight.

John
 
Slipped off half an hour earlier than usual to get to Tundry Pond before dark. I was rewarded with a few new birds for the year and, in the half-light with both Little and Tawny Owls already calling, a Bank Vole on the slopes of the Basingstoke Canal cutting beyond the bridge that leads to the pond from the towpath. There was a lot more small mammal scuffling going on but the vole was the only creature that showed itself.

At 5a.m. this morning, one of our local Red Foxes trotted down the street barking and yowling loudly for a bonus year-tick.

John
 
Had a long weekend to celebrate and then recover from my birthday, but clocked a few mammals as well.

My brother has a mouse infestation in his house so we put our collection of trip-traps down and overnight Saturday got two that had managed to get into one trap! Both were female Yellow-necked Mice which were a good one to get out of the way early in the year.

Since then Dave has had 5 more, and he doesn't think he's got them all yet. All were released well outside their homing distance but still in their usual habitat.

Later on Sunday three Brown Hares in fields near Greywell were well hunkered down against the wind but still showing just above the level of the grass. Running total 7 species.

Some better weather would be a help!

John
 
Tried a night drive round the Greywell and Odiham area last night. This is sometimes quite successful but despite the unusual weather (it wasn't raining) the only interesting wildlife was a Tawny Owl that flew across my headlight beams near Long Sutton. Presumably he also thought small mammals would be out and about.

John
 
Andrew03 said:
How many spp of wild mammal are there in the UK?? - 51 sounds a lot to me!

Interesting thread,

Andrew

Agreed, 51 does sound a hell of a lot! Presumably that involved a fair amount of attention to bats and small rodents & insectivores ?

As Andrew said, an interesting idea.

Stuart
 
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Andrew03 said:
How many spp of wild mammal are there in the UK?? - 51 sounds a lot to me!

A quick flick through the field guide suggests about 57 species (including about 17 bat species) plus however many cetaceans.

To see 51 in one year is pretty impressive stuff.
 
A very interesting thread indeed John. Like yourself, I try to keep track of all my mammal sightings, as well as reptiles, and obviously birds.
Not seen any where near 57 species, well not just in the UK anyway.
I got Pine Marten for the first time last October. Would really like to add Chinese Water Deer, Polecat and Wild Cat.
 
Andrew03 said:
A lot of Chinese water deer on the farmland around Woburn if it helps (probably not, a long way from you!)
Andrew

Hi Andrew

I do get to your area from time to time, so your tip is of great help. Cheers
 
Andrew03 said:
How many spp of wild mammal are there in the UK?? - 51 sounds a lot to me!

Interesting thread,

Andrew

If you include all the vagrants (e.g. Harp and Bearded Seals) bats, rats and cetaceans, then about 89 species are possible. Some of the top lists are on Surfbirds though Richard Webb has removed his, I believe because he is more internationally focused: otherwise he would be top.

Of the terrestrials I still need Common Vole and Black Rat.

51 in a year felt like a lot at the time but part of it is knowing good sites. Last year I didn't really set out to do a mammal year list but got 48 plus Red-necked Wallaby at Loch Lomond.

John
 
skink1978 said:
Hi Andrew

I do get to your area from time to time, so your tip is of great help. Cheers

Concur Woburn for CWD, I saw 18 in a morning around Little Brickhill last spring, also Black Grey Squirrels and Muntjac.

John
 
skink1978 said:
A very interesting thread indeed John. Like yourself, I try to keep track of all my mammal sightings, as well as reptiles, and obviously birds.
Not seen any where near 57 species, well not just in the UK anyway.
I got Pine Marten for the first time last October. Would really like to add Chinese Water Deer, Polecat and Wild Cat.


Polecat is really hard and I have only seen two ever, ona random sighting basis. Thye are now much more widespread than say ten years ago and you may wish to check out the Vincent Wildlife Trust/Mammal Society survey, especially the newsletters.

Wildcat is very very difficult but the consensus among people I have talked and e-mailed with seems to be West Coast, young pine plantations and "cairns" which more probably means tumbled scree slopes. Ardnamurchan is probably as good an area as anywhere to try and gives excellent prospects of Pine Martena and Otter as well: in summer the cetacean watching from Ardnamurchan Point can be terrific. On one trip (June 2004) I got 3 Minke Whales, 20+ Common Dolphins and a White-beaked Dolphin in an evening.

John

John
 
89! - shocking! Does black rat still occur - i'd a feeling i'd read it had gone from the UK?

Any possibility of posting the full list of 89ish?

Cheers
Andrew
 
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