Open Day at Pwll Penarth

The Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust wants your views and opinions on the new management plan for Pwll Penarth Nature Reserve, Newtown. An open day on the reserve is being held on Tuesday 12th February. Click here to find out more.

MBG's first excursion

An enjoyable, if tiring, day with the Montgomeryshire Bat Group (MBG), carrying out a bat hibernation survey in an impressive slate mine above Llangynog. Quite a slog up the steep hill to the mine, but once inside a good time was had by all. We saw a Greater Horseshoe, about 20 Lesser Horseshoes, a Brown Long-eared and a few Myotis bats, including one which was definitely a Daubenton’s. On the way back down, we popped in to an older lead mine, where there were another 10 or so Lesser Horseshoes and a few Myotis. For photos of MBG’s first excursion, check out the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MontgomeryshireBatGroup

We still know so little about the bats in Montgomeryshire; this information will not only help inform national trends, but also help build a clearer picture about bats in the area. If you know where some bats are roosting, please email me.

House Mouse, Pontrobert

When our heating broke down just after Christmas, the last thing I expected was that mice were to blame. Sure, we'd had an investation of mice in the shed (where the boiler lives) for a few months, as evidenced by their numerous droppings, the smell of urine and some chewed items. I hadn't quite got round to trapping them out, but part of me also didn't mind, as long as they stayed in the shed and didn't do any damage. However, the problem with the boiler brought the issue to a head... the mice had out-stayed their welcome and had to go!

Last night, I put two (live) traps in the shed and two hours later, I had a mouse in each. Before I went to bed, the total had gone up to three.

I was pleased to catch some so quickly and then I was intrigued - the furries I had caught were House Mice! This may not strike you as odd, but the House Mouse (Mus domesticus) is an uncommon species in Montgomeryshire! The mouse typically found in our rural homes is the Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) or occasionally for those in the east of the vice county, the Yellow-necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis).

There are only eight records for House Mouse in Montgomeryshire (five since 2000), all of which are in the east; this new record is the furthest west ever recorded!

So how do I know this is a House Mouse? It has smaller eyes and smaller ears than the other two species, but unless you are used to seeing them or have them side by side this is unlikely to be helpful! I think the easiest way of recognising a House Mouse is to think 'tiny rat' - their tails have a scaly look and they appear to be a uniform colour (typically grey-brown) all over.