John's Mammals 2015 (2 Viewers)

[Farnboro John]

A couple of shots from a couple of nights ago - none of last nights are up to scratch unfortunately.

John

 

[crazyfingers]

I found the hind end of a house mouse on my basement floor this morning. There were two hind legs and a tail. No sign of the rest yet.

My cats bring things in a lot but usually just play them to death.

(The cats have an enclosure that they can go in the back yard from the cat flap under the deck to the basement. They get lots of rodents and frogs but never get birds.)

Another one this morning.

 

[Farnboro John]

Tonight I put the chicken out early. It would be nice to get shots in enough light to autofocus, and perhaps I shall manage it soon, but our vixen arrived a little after my camera gave up the struggle with the fading light - a long way from full dark though.

Notwithstanding, I got some nice snaps. Her teats are nothing like as prominent as they were a week or so ago, so I guess her cubs are taking everything she has to give now.

Needless to say she has implicit faith in me now, coming straight in and paying no attention to the flash. After she had eaten the chicken leg she departed via the back of the shrubbery and since I knew there were two nice big lumps of chicken jelly still on the grass I tongue-clicked "tac - tac - tac": which she correctly interpreted as meaning there was still food and returned to snaffle it with gusto before trotting away again.

John

 

[prhodes]

Sika Deer directions spot-on John.

No problem finding them today in the early morning sunshine. Pics taken just north of Shipstal Point. Left plenty of time to go and see the Early Spider Orchids, and get a few year ticks (Dartford Warbler, Spoonbill and Cuckoo).

(A nice change from all that recent 'twitching'),

Thanks again, Phil

 

[Farnboro John]

Sika Deer directions spot-on John.

No problem finding them today in the early morning sunshine. Pics taken just north of Shipstal Point. Left plenty of time to go and see the Early Spider Orchids, and get a few year ticks (Dartford Warbler, Spoonbill and Cuckoo).

(A nice change from all that recent 'twitching'),

Thanks again, Phil

Glad you scored. Nice flower too!

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Our vixen came in just after 2100 this evening to demonstrate again what a fast learner she is. Arriving with a clear thought in her mind that there might be goodies in addition to the chicken leg, she actually ignored it (though it was in plain view in the usual spot) and sniffed out all the bits of chicken jelly around it, ate them, then picked up the main morsel and trotted away with it.

A couple of hours later she came back while Maz was outside catching some fresh air, to find that Maz had also provided her with a slice of ham and a mini pork pie. She picked up the ham, stood there having a think, then shuffled it about in her mouth so as to pick up the pie at the same time, and trotted off again smugly.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

I'll update the fox saga in a day or two (all is well) but brief note on a day out in Norfolk/Suffolk today:

No mammals in North Norfolk (but 9 Dotterel and a brief Rough-legged Buzzard) then 4 Stone Curlews on the Stoat reserve at Weeting Heath plus a Stoat getting an absolute drubbing from both Rabbits and Lapwings. It had to go to ground every few yards.

Lakenheath Fen had fistfuls of Hobbies, a nice showy Cuckoo and my best Cranes ever, plus a brief Weasel carrying a small rodent (seen much better by others closer to the action) and the day's second Stoat along the track between the reserve centre and the first viewpoint. Apparently there had been two Otters seen in the morning.

John

 

[Allen]

Just thought I'd ask this on this forum. Are Polecats on the increase in the UK or has there been an increase in Polecat/Ferret escapes. The reason I ask is that having driven down to the South West a few times recently, I've passed a few roadkill corpses of one or other of these. None have been in a place to stop and assess precisely but these aren't species that I used to see much of as roadkill until recent couple of years. Am sure this group would have some info.

 

[Farnboro John]

Just thought I'd ask this on this forum. Are Polecats on the increase in the UK or has there been an increase in Polecat/Ferret escapes. The reason I ask is that having driven down to the South West a few times recently, I've passed a few roadkill corpses of one or other of these. None have been in a place to stop and assess precisely but these aren't species that I used to see much of as roadkill until recent couple of years. Am sure this group would have some info.

If you mean the A303 then the West Hampshire/Wiltshire stretch does have dead Polecats every time I go up and down it these days: around Boscombe Down particularly. This has been going on for some years (5? 10?) following an authorised reintroduction in the area: but there are some feral animals about - Clare had a live ferret out of my car window coming back from the SW last year. I've seen a couple of corpses around the Farnborough area and the only one I examined closely appeared to be the full Monty.

In general Polecats appear to be doing well with the Welsh population having pushed well across the Midlands (I'm not sure if the Cotswold to Cambridgeshire etc Polecats represent the current edge of this - comment Mark?) and numbers increasing in the South presumably from reintroductions.

However, they remain very difficult to see alive, the College Lake animals having been heavily twitched for exactly that reason.

John

 

[Allen]

Thanks John, yes along the A303. I did actually have a live one run across the road in broad daylight on the A39 West Quantoxhead, North Devon last summer although it could just have easily been a ferret/polecat

 

[dantheman]

Driving back to Cornwall back from Kent in April (ok the 3rd April) had two dead 'Polecats' on the A30 over Bodmin - one c.20 miles west of Exeter, one halfway across. Dozens of dead badgers on the journey, and a dead Stoat near Truro (the only one I stopped for).

Presumably easy pickings/spreading along the roadside - but with natural risks from cars (think the roadside bunnies have learnt a decent avoidance strategy long ago?)

 

[Farnboro John]

Driving back to Cornwall back from Kent in April (ok the 3rd April) had two dead 'Polecats' on the A30 over Bodmin - one c.20 miles west of Exeter, one halfway across. Dozens of dead badgers on the journey, and a dead Stoat near Truro (the only one I stopped for).

Presumably easy pickings/spreading along the roadside - but with natural risks from cars (think the roadside bunnies have learnt a decent avoidance strategy long ago?)

Roadside bunnies either disappear or get eaten quickly. I met a DEFRA guy studying Badgers who reckoned they void glands on impact which ruins the meat - but then there's the roadkill eater who habitually snarfs (cooked) Badgers, so believe what you like....

John

 

[MarkHows]

In general Polecats appear to be doing well with the Welsh population having pushed well across the Midlands (I'm not sure if the Cotswold to Cambridgeshire etc Polecats represent the current edge of this - comment Mark?) and numbers increasing in the South presumably from reintroductions.

John

Both introductions and westerly movement account from the Midlands population, which has now pushed into Suffolk.

Mark

 

[Farnboro John]

Back at Weeting yesterday on the way home from the Citril Finch. Clare spotted a Stoat as soon as she raised her bins in the West Hide, but it was moving at speed and using dead ground and the rest of us were too slow to get on it.

The many Rabbits were quite frisky and while I apologise for the quality of the shots below, its an interesting insight into the athleticism required to be a top stud Rabbit!

John

 

[GusHawk]

Hi John, just wondering if you could check one of the photos on my Flickr page as I can't seem to resize it and therefore can't post here :C it's one of the most recently posted ones and it's called something like "possible Water Shrew tunnels?" It is what it sounds like. Some wee open sided tunnels in the bank of a stream. I know someone who thinks he probably saw one upstream of these tunnels so... Fingers crossed, they are there somewhere! I'll post a link to my Flickr in a sec, or you can go on to my blog, then on a link to Flickr should be on there somewhere. Cheers in advance!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123521075@N07/

 

[Nutcracker]

Hi John, just wondering if you could check one of the photos on my Flickr page as I can't seem to resize it and therefore can't post here :C it's one of the most recently posted ones and it's called something like "possible Water Shrew tunnels?" It is what it sounds like. Some wee open sided tunnels in the bank of a stream. I know someone who thinks he probably saw one upstream of these tunnels so... Fingers crossed, they are there somewhere! I'll post a link to my Flickr in a sec, or you can go on to my blog, then on a link to Flickr should be on there somewhere. Cheers in advance!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123521075@N07/

I'd guess more likely Water Vole, or even more likely, Brown Rat (sorry!!3)

 

[GusHawk]

Water Vole unlikely in our area, seen Brown Rat a few times. Seems to be the only mammal I see in the water :C did get very nice views of a healthy looking Fox whilst walking my usual route at about 6pm

 

[Farnboro John]

Fox News (the reliable version):

The following foxes are currently attending for handouts:

Mrs F (lactating female)
White-tip/Black Notch
Scruffbag
Mangy critter (this one only has a stick of a tail and I discourage him as I don't want the other foxes getting the disease.)

Tonight Maz called me out because, an hour after White-tip and Mrs F had both been fed, she popped out for some fresh air to find two foxes (Mrs F and Scruffbag) sitting on the path looking hopefully at her. I fetched two bits of chicken and threw one on the lawn. Scruffbag started to move towards it and I stepped out to give him pause and Mrs F a chance to get it. It half worked in that Scruffbag retreated a bit, but Mrs F as a smaller fox was reluctant to take a bit of chicken in front of the larger male, as she might get robbed (this has happened a couple of times with White-tip recently.)

I chucked the other bit of chicken towards Scruffbag, who grabbed it gratefully and trotted off. Mrs F also made to leave but I tongue-clicked that there was still food and pointed to it. She then trotted to where I was pointing, picked up her bit of chicken and departed in the opposite direction with me murmuring "clever girl" in her wake.

John

 

[crazyfingers]

Fox News (the reliable version):

Ha. :king:

In other news, my first Cottontail sighting of the season.

 

[JCL]

Lakenheath - stoat

From the RSPB lakenheath (Suffolk) blog today: ' An inquisitive stoat has been making regular appearances on the main track leading to Joist Fen viewpoint; some excellent photo opportunities to be had there.'

Not in ermine, but still of interest.