John's Mammals 2010 (1 Viewer)

[michael23]

Love the mouse John, superb!

 

[Farnboro John]

Glad you posted this as I plan to visit myself in a couple of weeks (after the Bilboa trip). Mark suggested I contact the inn in advance which I have yet to do. What time did the bats emerge?

On the subject of bats, the following may be of interest to mammal listers.

Yesterday I combined a visit to the Shibdon Pond Spotted Crake with a trip to the Teesdale Whiskered Bat roost (See Richard Moores ‘Where to watch mammals...'). I’ve been meaning to call by for ages as I needed the tick.

I arrived at the Field Studies Centre in Middleton-in-Teesdale early evening and was able to view the buildings from the riverside path (it is possible to climb a small wall for a better, unobstructed view of the rear of the building).

The midges were out in force but I was rewarded by great views of at least 10 Whiskered Bats as they emerged from the building gables and flew directly over my head towards the river. First activity was around 20:15, quite a bit before sunset.

Common and Soprano Pipistrelle also inhabit the centre, together with very small numbers of Brown Long-eared Bat; however, I concentrated my detector on the Whiskered Bats. I also had a young Wood Mouse hop over my foot and saw a Dipper in the river.

I've been there in the past and found numbers of Noctules racing about over the nearby fields: and Daubenton's Bats skimming the river by the road bridge.

Its a good clean-up site.

John

 

[snlw]

Mike,

I got there about half an hour before sunset. The first bats emerged shortly after. The main stream of bats started just as the light faded completly. Sorry I was not paying attention to the exact times. I was just standing on the terrace and the staff approached me. They were very friendly and helpful. I hope this helps.

Cheers, Simon

 

[Mike Richardson]

Mike,

I got there about half an hour before sunset. The first bats emerged shortly after. The main stream of bats started just as the light faded completly. Sorry I was not paying attention to the exact times. I was just standing on the terrace and the staff approached me. They were very friendly and helpful. I hope this helps.

Cheers, Simon

Thanks. Time before sunset is more helpful than actual time as I'll be visiting in a couple of weeks (if that makes sense!).

 

[MarkHows]

A selection of my recent efforts, the dormice are from John's site.




off to Hungary for a week a report in due course

Mark

 

[Farnboro John]

Pulled off the double with a return visit to the Edible Dormice. Roy showed me a new spot to try, and we had some good views in hazel hedgerows but found it frustrating for photography so after a couple of hours we returned to Wendover Woods.

Almost immediately Roy found one sitting in the open on a conifer branch and it was content to be photographed repeatedly while illuminated with red light.

I found another quite high up in the nest tree but swinging the camera onto it failed to produce the eyeshine I expected. I told Roy so and after a look he commented "that's because there's an owl on the branch"!

While I was moving a Tawny Owl had made a dart at the dormouse, which was now chuntering at it (along with several others nearby) from a safe distance in cover. The owl sat for its portrait even as I moved around to get a better angle.

We decided it really wasn't likely to get better than this and knocked off for the night. We had been at Wendover for about ten minutes!

John

 

[edenwatcher]

Top domestic action at the weekend.
Early on Saturday morning an otter showed nicely on a weed covered pier in the estuary, feeding and washing - enabling Andrew to get nice views. Yesterday evening a stoat trotted into the garden, walked through the rockery and went off under the cars! Finally the otter showed again in the evening fishing in mid-channel and apparently having lots of fun! Amazing stuff.

Rob

 

[MarkHows]

Just got back from Hungary, the weather was not ideal so missed two bats I was after but we had some good stuff, European hamster, white bellied hedgehog, lesser mole rat, southern birch mouse, striped field mouse, wildcat, wild boar to name a few. A full trip report to follow.

Mark

 

[Farnboro John]

Had another trip to Wendover last night in the hope of getting a pic that shows the bushy Edible Dormouse tail. Early on the dormice were quite skittish but I managed a couple of pix of one sticking its head out of the nest hole.

Later Roy and I found a fat male that was as interested in us as we were in him, sitting looking at us from branches and not moving too quickly between them: I got a couple of quite nice photos and one or two do show the tail, albeit on the other side of the branch from the rest of the animal.

We saw a Tawny Owl but I wasn't quick enough for pix (could only see its head poking out of leafery anyway). We heard maybe four or five, and saw about eight Dormice in all with more calling from deep cover.

With the nights drawing in we had got going early and knocked off about 2145 well satisfied with the results.

John

 

[dendroica]

Had my best ever views of Stoat on Wednesday, running up and down a field edge near Cromer. Absolutely storming views in the 'scope and made up for the distinct lack of migrant birds (though not wholly unexpected bearing in mind the strong SW'erly).

Love the recent photos from both you and Mark - some truly excellent shots!

Mike

 

[Farnboro John]

Cheers for the compliments!

I had three species of mammals on a walk with Tansy just near the house yesterday: the usual Grey Squirrels that she chased without success, a Brown Rat swimming across the brook and a Red Fox curled up asleep on a day bed in the reeds.

I did my best to rush her home, grabbed my camera and slunk back to the spot on the bank that overlooked the sleeping fox. It was still there. The light was starting to go so I needed flash, but after five frames the fox was still asleep and I slunk away again quite pleased with the shots and my fieldcraft.

John

 

[MarkHows]

As promised my trip report from my trip to Hungary is now ready on my website but a few pics of interest.

Lesser Mole Rat, Southern Birch Mouse, Sousilik, Pond Bat, Fire Salamander

Mark

 

[Mike Richardson]

As promised my trip report from my trip to Hungary is now ready on my website but a few pics of interest.

Lesser Mole Rat, Southern Birch Mouse, Sousilik, Pond Bat, Fire Salamander

Mark

Top trip report. Anna should be delighted that you put in the effort and found her a Fire Salamander to celebrate your wedding anniversary – shame she wasn’t there to see it!

 

[James Blake]

Helped with a Nathusius's Pipistrelle survey last night. Alas, no Nathusius's, but we did record one Leisler's and good numbers of commoner species.

In London at least September is the prime month for Nathusius's, with a lot passing through on migration.

Leisler's are now common-ish in several parts of London, e.g. the south-west, throughout the season.

best wishes to all
James

 

[Farnboro John]

There was a gathering of mammal watchers on Saturday in Savernake Forest for the annual PTES bat excursion led by Steve Laurence and the Wiltshire Bat Group.

Clare and I went, to find Mark Hows, Mike Richardson and Simon of Essex as well as Kenny and Kat from the North West and some faces I can't put names to (sorry) preventing ordinary citizens from getting on the trip.

The weather was very kind with bright sunshine (dimly visible through the leafery) but rather cold, which may have affected what bats we found. It was nice to start off with three Soprano Pipistrelles in boxes near the car park.

There were plenty of Brown Long-eared Bats in one box on the way round, and a few Natterer's Bats in another, but no sign of any Barbastelles anywhere. We tried listening to the Long-ears echo-locating from three feet with a Batbox IIID and could barely pick them up. No wonder the damn things are so difficult to find in the field.

Towards the end of the day we visited an extra ancient tree known as the totem pole due to the assortment of bat refuge modifications sprouting from its rotting trunk. This yielded another three Soprano Pips and a Common Pip that was lurking in a chainsaw-cut slot (a first use of such a refuge for Savernake apparently).

We then bomb-burst out into Marlborough for dinner and a pint before gathering at the disuseed railway tunnel where the evening's harp- and mist-netting was to take place.

Clare and I had our noses brushed by a Barn Owl on the way in, a bit of a "JC!" moment as its silent form whipped past us, and arrived to see a Brown Long-eared Bat sliding down the harp trap wires to be collected at the bottom.

It wsa very cold in the cutting and despite being well wrapped up we were soon curled up trying to stay warm. The bats probably were somewhere, too, because they weren't whizzing about in profusion or diving in squadrons into the nets. We had a trickle of Nats and Long-ears, then some excitement when a male Myotis came out of the net. Unfortunately its penis was very narrow which made it Whiskered Bat rather than Brandt's but its teeth were checked anyway.

Clare and I ran out of endurance at about 2230 and headed home.

John

 

[Jhanlon]

Think I might do that Savernake Forest event next year - meant to this year but somehow didn't get round to it. Had a good afternoon's birding in Norfolk yesterday (Wilson's phal, lap bunts, hen harriers, shore larks etc) and finished up with 3 noctules hunting over the edge of Holkham Bay (pic attached). Nice to see, as other than on my Scottish trip I haven't caught up with many mammals this year.

There was a gathering of mammal watchers on Saturday in Savernake Forest for the annual PTES bat excursion led by Steve Laurence and the Wiltshire Bat Group.

Clare and I went, to find Mark Hows, Mike Richardson and Simon of Essex as well as Kenny and Kat from the North West and some faces I can't put names to (sorry) preventing ordinary citizens from getting on the trip.

The weather was very kind with bright sunshine (dimly visible through the leafery) but rather cold, which may have affected what bats we found. It was nice to start off with three Soprano Pipistrelles in boxes near the car park.

There were plenty of Brown Long-eared Bats in one box on the way round, and a few Natterer's Bats in another, but no sign of any Barbastelles anywhere. We tried listening to the Long-ears echo-locating from three feet with a Batbox IIID and could barely pick them up. No wonder the damn things are so difficult to find in the field.

Towards the end of the day we visited an extra ancient tree known as the totem pole due to the assortment of bat refuge modifications sprouting from its rotting trunk. This yielded another three Soprano Pips and a Common Pip that was lurking in a chainsaw-cut slot (a first use of such a refuge for Savernake apparently).

We then bomb-burst out into Marlborough for dinner and a pint before gathering at the disuseed railway tunnel where the evening's harp- and mist-netting was to take place.

Clare and I had our noses brushed by a Barn Owl on the way in, a bit of a "JC!" moment as its silent form whipped past us, and arrived to see a Brown Long-eared Bat sliding down the harp trap wires to be collected at the bottom.

It wsa very cold in the cutting and despite being well wrapped up we were soon curled up trying to stay warm. The bats probably were somewhere, too, because they weren't whizzing about in profusion or diving in squadrons into the nets. We had a trickle of Nats and Long-ears, then some excitement when a male Myotis came out of the net. Unfortunately its penis was very narrow which made it Whiskered Bat rather than Brandt's but its teeth were checked anyway.

Clare and I ran out of endurance at about 2230 and headed home.

John

 

[James Blake]

There've apparently been some good water shrew sightings at the Sussex Wildlife Trust HQ recently: though all was quiet when I dropped in this afternoon.

http://www.earnley.info/?p=497

 

[Farnboro John]

Some bat pictures from the recent PTES/Wiltshire Bat Group Savernake Bats day: Three Brown Long-eared Bats and a Natterer's.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

I can confirm that the Sussex Wildlife Trust HQ reserve is a great place for Water Shrews at the moment. I've been down twice, last Thursday with Clare and again Saturday on my own, and got some half-decent pictures with two shown here.

Compare with about ten visits to Fishpond Woods in Yorkshire, good views but only one frame ever and that not brilliant!

Recommended. The staff are very friendly and helpful and will tell you the best spots to look. I saw two or maybe three shrews (one on and off for 90 minutes, early in the morning) and the best views and pix were from the furthest footbridge along the top path, before the sign showing footpath closed due to works.

John

 

[snlw]

I had Friday & Saturday night out with the a Bat Group and had an excellent time. Over both nights over 200 Natterer's, 15 Daubenton's, 13 Whiskered, 5 Brown Long-eared, 4 LESSER HORSESHOE, 8 BARBASTELLE and 1 BECHSTEIN'S. I have put the pictures on flickr - www.flickr.com/photos/sinlw
The session only finished on Saturday night as we rang out of rings with plenty of bats still flying.

Simon