John's Mammals 2020 (1 Viewer)

[Farnboro John]

This doesn't compare with a big cat of course, but had a fox cub experience earlier on today which was pretty cool - no camera or even phone though.

So I was stood in a trackway when I spotted a young fox cub bimbling along further down and coming towards me, exploring the ground and smelling everything. Not sure how old it would have been but it was maybe a touch larger than the largest domestic cat you normally see out. Anyway it seemed quite young and spent a few moments worrying about a hogweed leaf blowing about in the middle of the way. I was in the middle of eating a banana at the time so I broke a few chunks off and threw them down the track about 30 feet away. It hadn't noticed me, but ate the banana when it came to it! It was only when it kept coming toward me and about 10 feet away that it saw me and legged it back without a backward glance. Saw an adult too in the vicinity wandering about a couple of times that afternoon too.

Nice one! Who doesn't like a banana? Certainly not an opportunistic omnivore like a fox.

That'll teach you to let your camera out of arms reach - clear breach of Rule 1! :-O

Cheers

John

 

[MarkHows]

Not much recently apart from this rescued field vole.

Mark

 

[dantheman]

Nice one! Who doesn't like a banana? Certainly not an opportunistic omnivore like a fox.

That'll teach you to let your camera out of arms reach - clear breach of Rule 1! :-O

Well ... again no camera but chanced up a nice Badger hunting through the grass about 15 yards from me around 8pm this evening. Didn't notice me at all. Going to have to carry phone and banana at all times from now I reckon ...

 

[snlw]

I was out on Tuesday 2nd June looking for dragonflies when some movement in the reeds on the opposite side of the canal caught my attention. I initially thought a Moorhen would appear but nothing did. Some minutes later I got a glimpse of the culprit, an American Mink, which for about the next 30 minutes gave me by far & away my best views of this species. It swam up & down the same stretch of canal before crossing over towards me & into a pipe I was standing above.

 

[Farnboro John]

Those are great pictures Simon! I know they have to go ultimately but they are charismatic little predators (and those are better than my best ones of the species). Is that a place you go regularly or was it a one-off visit? In other words, was this a fluke or do you not know if they are resident and easy there?

John

 

[snlw]

Those are great pictures Simon! I know they have to go ultimately but they are charismatic little predators (and those are better than my best ones of the species). Is that a place you go regularly or was it a one-off visit? In other words, was this a fluke or do you not know if they are resident and easy there?

John

It's the GUC at Wilstone. I do go there regularly at this time of year for W-l Damselfly & Scarce Chaser that are there. I had heard of Mink being present there & have since found out one was seen along the same stretch a week before I went.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I’ve really enjoyed spending more time on my local patch. Went with Bud up Drummau yesterday on our own. Everyone else refused as the weather was blustery and raining. As a result, I didn’t take my camera. :C

Been walking up here and for years and have never seen Hares up here before. Great views of 3 of them. One came lolloping down the track toward us and only legged it when he saw the boy.

Well chuffed.

Rich

 

[MarkHows]

Foxes and Badgers in my garden most nights, and a poor mole brought in by my cat but did not make it my updates.


Mark

 

[MarkHows]

Some trail cam photos

Mark

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Cracking Mark.:t:

Rich

 

[Farnboro John]

Acting on information received I was over at Wilstone today and nailed the Mink on the Grand Union Canal. I had to wait a couple of hours, it came out at about 1330 I suppose, appearing in the canal to start with and after doing a typical Mink vanishing act right in front of me, reappeared in a ditch/brook/land drain that empties into the canal through a culvert where it caught two crayfish in succession and crunched them up invisibly within a few feet of me! I did see it a couple of times and then it went off through the copse. The photos I got when it first came out in the canal are my new best Mink photos. Thank you very much Simon!

The canal also had good numbers of White-legged Damselflies and double figures of Scarce Chaser, both of which species sat up fairly readily: with a couple of high-speed Emperors scorching about.

Elsewhere around Tring Reservoirs I nailed Chinese Water Deer for the year, running away in great bounds through a wheat field.

Pretty decent day out.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

I got some Mink pictures.

They show quite well why nobody should mistake one for an Otter (even apart from the massive difference in size). Mink float higher and show shoulders and hips highest out of the water. Otters show mid-back highest, with low shoulders and hips. Otters have a big thick tail that looks sleek in water. Mink have a shortish bottle-brush tail.

Anyway, it was a cracking encounter. Mink are cool, even though they are also awful.

John

 

[Richard Prior]

Another hijacking of the thread John, Beaver news I just noticed on the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-53249544

 

[Farnboro John]

Another hijacking of the thread John, Beaver news I just noticed on the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-53249544

Yes, I saw that (and it's not hijacking). But are they fenced in? I have a feeling a lot of the estate beavers are. I'll believe the government is on their side when they stop talking about projects and trials and the fences come down everywhere.

John

 

[MarkHows]

Not much mammal wise recently this common shrew and the regular badgers in the garden of note.

Mark

 

[Farnboro John]

Couple of belters there Mark. I'm so envious of your garden badgers!

Apart from Big Whitey and Rip, I've hardly seen a mammal for weeks.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Fed a cub tonight, it was trotting past ignoring my presence but turned to look when I called (I knew it was a new fox as it has two unripped ears, photographed) and came to a chicken drumstick before capering off with its booty. Earlier Big Whitey had turned up with what I presume was another cub which shot off when I opened the door (Rip would never have done that and in fact turned up later for her chicken). Various foxes were skittering about in and out of the street while I looked out, I'm guessing I saw a minimum of four including the adults.

John

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Saw my first Stoat for a while yesterday. On the road between Mountain Ash and the A470. Luckily it hopped on and off very quickly.

 

[Farnboro John]

Saw my first Stoat for a while yesterday. On the road between Mountain Ash and the A470. Luckily it hopped on and off very quickly.

Good stuff! I haven't seen one this year yet.

John

 

[MarkHows]

Red Deer and Brown hare from a quick trip to Scotland, Sika from Dorset and the badger once again from my garden




Mark