I spent the whole day at the Wildwood Centre near Canterbury on their small mammal surveying day course organised on this occasion by Kent Wildlife Trust. We learnt how to set traps, identify and characterise any mammals caught, with great care for both our own and the animals' safety. I shall have to consider whether to carry out a survey near Hadlow, perhaps on a tetrad which hasn't been surveyed before! Its difficult to find a good site, with a mixed variety of habitat.
We found House Mice (Mus musculus, rather smelly introductions to the UK and so many other countries in the world), quite a few Wood Mice of both sexes and all ages, Apodemus sylvaticus, a Bank Vole, Myodes glareolus, and a Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, in the wooded surrounds of the centre. We didn't find any Yellow-necked Mice, Apodemus flavicollis, which I would have liked to see. However we also saw Water Voles, Arvicola amphibius, Brown Rats, Rattus norvegicus, Water Shrews, Neomys fodiens, a Harvest Mouse, Micromys minutus, a Dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, a Fox, Vulpes vulpes, an Otter, Lutra lutra, a Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx, some smaller deer, Grey Squirrels, Sciurus caroliniensis, a Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, Wallabies, Macropus spp., Beavers, Castor fiber, very close up in their lodge, an Adder, Vipera berus, a Raven, Corvus corax, Little Egrets, Egretta garzetta, Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, Pochard, Aythya ferina, all in the collection at Wildwood itself, as well as seeing the new bat soft release flight cage.
It was a great day, with lots of interest. I was particularly aware of the good number of wood mice we caught. I can only assume that the woods are fairly full of small animals that we are generally unaware of as we walk through them. It would be interesting to carry out a survey in somewhere like Dene Park, but it would be difficult to ensure the safety of the traps with so many dog walkers and other usage of the wood. I am sure it would be easier in somewhere like Upper Lodge Wood.
We found House Mice (Mus musculus, rather smelly introductions to the UK and so many other countries in the world), quite a few Wood Mice of both sexes and all ages, Apodemus sylvaticus, a Bank Vole, Myodes glareolus, and a Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, in the wooded surrounds of the centre. We didn't find any Yellow-necked Mice, Apodemus flavicollis, which I would have liked to see. However we also saw Water Voles, Arvicola amphibius, Brown Rats, Rattus norvegicus, Water Shrews, Neomys fodiens, a Harvest Mouse, Micromys minutus, a Dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, a Fox, Vulpes vulpes, an Otter, Lutra lutra, a Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx, some smaller deer, Grey Squirrels, Sciurus caroliniensis, a Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, Wallabies, Macropus spp., Beavers, Castor fiber, very close up in their lodge, an Adder, Vipera berus, a Raven, Corvus corax, Little Egrets, Egretta garzetta, Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, Pochard, Aythya ferina, all in the collection at Wildwood itself, as well as seeing the new bat soft release flight cage.
It was a great day, with lots of interest. I was particularly aware of the good number of wood mice we caught. I can only assume that the woods are fairly full of small animals that we are generally unaware of as we walk through them. It would be interesting to carry out a survey in somewhere like Dene Park, but it would be difficult to ensure the safety of the traps with so many dog walkers and other usage of the wood. I am sure it would be easier in somewhere like Upper Lodge Wood.
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