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

John's Mammals 2018 (1 Viewer)

Fab stuff Rich! And I look forward to developments from Fife....

I promised some photos a while ago, better put them up before I take any more I reckon.

John

Rabbit X 2 - adult in the paddock by the car park at Moor Green Lakes NR.

Bank Vole X 3 - Pulborough Brooks RSPB, along the path between the double gates just past Fattengates, and the Hanger.
 

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And a few more:

Young Rabbit feeding by the path near the Hanger at Pulborough Brooks RSPB

Red Fox - A lactating White Tip sitting calmly waiting to be fed.

Red Fox X 3 - Big Whitey being unusually co-operative. He has a bite on his face which may have been White Tip's doing.
 

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Camera trap set. Some of the scat is partly under a bush, which seems unlikely for a fox, which would have been cr*pping through the bush! Friends a couple of miles away have had pine marten on their camera trap. I have an open mind on this one but grey squirrel sightings have declined in the last couple of weeks...

Rob
 
3 Hare in a field just out of Luton Parkway Rail station coming back from France yesterday were nice, with a (presumed) Roe Deer running through long grassy field in France itself around midday. Bunnies both ends of journey too.
 
Bat box check at the weekend in less than ideal weather in North Cambs, 47 bats of 3 species Noctule, Soprano Pipistrelle but the pic was 2 Leisler's bats.

Not bad considering the weather.


Mark
 

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Picked up Common Shrew for the year on Saturday at Pulborough Brooks RSPB as well as a couple of Bank Voles. I've lost shrew frequencies from the top end of my hearing but I can still hear scuffling in leaf litter.

Photo to follow but I have the first airshow of the year to work through before I get to it. A couple of the airshow pix involve aeroplanes that were nearly named "Shrew" but someone fortunately had a better idea.

Foxes have been almost nightly, especially White Tip but then she's feeding cubs.

John
 
Hello there,

Wondering if anyone has any knowledge/experience with young squirrels. We spotted this young red squirrel this morning. One of two, along with what I assumed at the time was an adult. Both the youngsters were similar - bald bodies. But with fur on heads, tails, and paws.
At the time I thought they were just very young kits. Having looked at photos of young online, it seems that usually they grow fur uniformly, and are covered when much smaller than these ones?

Both youngsters were agile, spritely, and feeding. Didn't seem to be any ill health. Although, if they stay in this bald state I don't rate their chances when winter arrives!
 

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Hello there,

Wondering if anyone has any knowledge/experience with young squirrels. We spotted this young red squirrel this morning. One of two, along with what I assumed at the time was an adult. Both the youngsters were similar - bald bodies. But with fur on heads, tails, and paws.
At the time I thought they were just very young kits. Having looked at photos of young online, it seems that usually they grow fur uniformly, and are covered when much smaller than these ones?

Both youngsters were agile, spritely, and feeding. Didn't seem to be any ill health. Although, if they stay in this bald state I don't rate their chances when winter arrives!

I'm no vet but mange would seem a possibility?

John
 
Took the children to the beach this afternoon - Limeslade Bay at the end of the Mumbles. Not quite Wally but I've not noticed these here before (though have seen them further round). 4 Greys hauled up on the rocks just outside of the bay:t:
 

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I'm no vet but mange would seem a possibility?

John

A little more research here, and it seems it may be Dermatophytosis. Which is similar to Mange, but without sores etc. A nicer condition if you have to have one! Also one that is short term, so with luck they will be ok.

...

Anyway, onto other mammals, finally saw my first fox of the year today! Don't think I've ever made it to June without seeing one, in either UK or Canada. Lots of tracks in the snow over winter, but no sightings.

My only new mammal spot this year was this little fellow. Which apparently is a Southern Red-backed vole. It hung out under the bird bath for a day or two, polishing off fallen seeds from the feeders.
 

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Brief note to bring the home fox story up to date. White Tip has bred, dunno how successfully but I suspect she has brought up at least one cub, probably more, because she has taken a fair amount of chicken away at a trot instead of eating it with me.

Big Whitey I presume to be her mate, they are totally relaxed around each other and he's now so confident of being fed that he first of all would stop chasing her at my word of command (feels weird even to me) and now simply doesn't bother. He's also totally relaxed around me: but for some reason he always takes a long look and sniff at the chicken before deciding to eat it.

Both he and White Tip look around warily while feeding, too, because there's a new fox on the block with no manners or etiquette. He chases both of them for food and bites on each - Whitey's face and White Tip's rear left leg - I suspect are his work. I've named him Psycho. I've only had one really good look at him and got no pix yet, but he's smallish but tall and rangy, and has a bit of a stick tail that makes me think he's a cub that has been competing with litter mates a lot. Whether he's one of the adults' I don't know. Maybe.

I'll put some recent fox pictures up soon, plus some stuff from the Scotland trip at the end of May.

John
 
All three foxes visited tonight. Big Whitey first: he sat down while I fetched the chicken box from the fridge, and as soon as he realised I was going to do photos before food, lay down!

White Tip was next, relaxed as usual - until Psycho turned up.... When the latter moved back out of sight I threw White Tip her chicken and she made off with it. As a result I got my first (indifferent) pic of Psycho as he came into view, puzzled, realised what had happened and accelerated after White Tip.

Our little lass came back soon after without her chicken. I'm more than ever of the opinion that Psycho is her cub and she fed him more or less voluntarily - but still knew where to get more.

Pix as soon as life slows down a bit.

John
 
I have been busy with other things recently but managed a few mammals along the way.
Otter, Badger, fox, wild boar, feral goats

Mark
 

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Guys, I wasn't going to post these pictures, after the poor creature died, but it was significant event for us mammal spotters and the people of King's Lynn. Dirty twitcher that I am, I selfishly shot up there after work for the mammal tick. RIP poor young Fin Whale.

Hope you don't mind this. Phil
 

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Guys, I wasn't going to post these pictures, after the poor creature died, but it was significant event for us mammal spotters and the people of King's Lynn. Dirty twitcher that I am, I selfishly shot up there after work for the mammal tick. RIP poor young Fin Whale.

Hope you don't mind this. Phil

Had I not been struggling with car problems I'd have been there too. Your presence didn't cause the problem or affect the outcome, so I don't see any need for guilt. Stick it on the list and enjoy it.

Frankly most of the pelagic species we twitch are likely to be in the same boat: I've seen two Northern Bottlenose Whales, both died (the second one was off Bournemouth and had easy access back to the open ocean had it been up to it); one Sperm Whale - died. The bird vagrants we twitch aren't for the most part going to regain their natal lands or rejoin their native populations.

It's that kind of hobby. No point in dodging it, but no need to fuss about it.

John
 
Thanks for the comments both. I do wonder if the whale had ingested plastic rubbish, as has been the case with past whale deaths, although perhaps less likely with Rorquals. I think I've heard that just being in the North Sea is bad news for them.

On a lighter note, one of our juvenile Foxes was sitting on the roof of my wife's car the other day, when shooed off, it when and sat on the roof of a neighbours car. Luckily it didn't scent mark in that unpleasant way foxes are inclined too.
 
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