Have you seen a Pine Marten in Wales

The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) is renewing its efforts to detect Pine Marten in Wales through the new ‘People & Pine Martens in Wales’ project, funded by The Co-operative. This follows on from the astonishing find of a Pine Marten at Aberhafesp, near Newtown, last year.

VWT has put out an appeal for anyone who thinks they may have seen a Pine Marten in Wales, or knows someone who has, to get in touch. The main Pine Marten ‘hot spots’ in Wales are Carmarthenshire, Snowdonia and the Cambrian Mountains.

"Reporting sightings to the Trust will enable us to focus on the areas in which we think they may be present and so target our work more effectively. The key characteristics of this small cat-sized animal are the large ears, pointed face, long bushy tail and pale chest patch." said David Bavin, the VWT’s new Pine Marten Officer.

Much of the VWT’s work relies on the generosity, time and vigilance of volunteers and members of the public and none more so than with this project: the Pine Marten is nocturnal, elusive and very rare.

The aim of the new project is to promote pine marten conservation and to begin the process of population recovery in Wales. "Pine Martens are attractive, valuable members of our natural heritage and we hope to restore them as a symbol of healthy woodland in Wales." said David.

More details about the project can be found on The Vincent Wildlife Trust’s website at www.vwt.org.uk and follow the link to the Pine Marten sightings form. Alternatively, call David Bavin, the People and Pine Martens in Wales Project Officer directly on 07794 985350 or 01974 282255 or email davidbavin@vwt.org.uk.

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.

Red Squirrel in Cheshire

A Red Squirrel has been discovered in Cheshire! Is this the first sign of a Red Squirrel comeback or am I getting ahead of myself?! Anyway, exciting news! Find out more here.

Second meeting of MBG

Last night, a group of 14 batty people gathered in the Ivy House Cafe in Montgomery to take the next step with the Montgomeryshire Bat Group. There was a lot to discuss, but the meeting was efficiently chaired by newly appointed Chairman, Simon Cope and we were plied with liberal amounts of tea/coffee and delicious cake.

Many important decisions were made, including the election of the following officers:
Secretary - Simon Mootz
Treasurer - Nicola Wheeler
Recording Officer - myself

as well as voting on our favourite logo, deciding on the cost of membership and setting some dates for batty activities. Gerry Longley provided a range of bat boxes to discuss their relative merits, as well as different examples of some of the equipment needed for underground bat surveying. Jess Richardson impressed us all with the website draft she had created and Beth Robinson circulated a possible education project she had been working on.

All in all, a very positive meeting heralding great things for the future of bats and bat work in Montgomeryshire. Viva Montgomeryshire Bat Group!

Mammal Society Species Hub

Want to know more about our mammals? Take a look at the Mammal Society's new 'Species Hub'.