First Hedgehog of 2013

I was beginning to wonder whether I would ever see a Hedgehog this Spring, but finally they have put me out of my misery! Last night, at about 10:15pm, a Hedgehog visited our feeder for the first time since November, as recorded on our trailcam:

So nice to see them again! May it be the first of many!

Incidentally, I feed my Hedgehogs Vine House Farm Hedgehog Food; it generally doesn't attract cats and the hedgies love it!

Bat in the logpile

Rescued a female pipistrelle bat today. She was found in a pile of logs and put on top of a nearby shed out of harms way. When she hadn't gone the next day, I received a call and bombed over to pick her up. Since she seemed unhurt, I took her straight to the local bat carer for some R&R. She seemed perky enough, so I thought she was probably just a little dehydrated and hungry. Sadly, however, it transpired that she had a broken wing, so she will not be able to be released back into the wild. Not what we had hoped for, but at least she has the best possible care.

Unexpected visitor

Despite the cold weather of late, my Mum thought she had a Hedgehog visiting her feeder. The muddy marks she found on the patio door, she attributed to their little feet, although they looked more like nose-marks to me. To solve the mystery, I lent her my trailcam and we were both astounded at what we found:

 

Ok, so a Badger isn't rare, but as my Mum said "It was literally the last thing I expected to visit my garden because I didn't think there was anywhere large enough for them to get through." And just to prove it wasn't a one off, here is another shot from two days later:

All that's left now is to work out how they are getting in!

Otter at LCYD part 2

Still there in the afternoon! This photo is courtesy of Val Lewis who was lucky enough to not only see this wonderful creature in the morning, but also to photograph it in the afternoon! Very confiding!

Otter at LCYD

Otter spotted mooching about at Llyn Coed y Dinas Nature Reserve this morning, seen from the hide! (Report from Len Lewis)

Some people have all the luck!

Last call for 2012 records

Having just completed the data entry for all the 2012 records, I will be shortly sending them to BIS (the local record centre). So, whilst I can accept records from any year at any time, if you have any records of mammals in Montgomeryshire in 2012, which have not yet been submitted, please send them to me ASAP. Email - tammy@montwt.co.uk

Many thanks to all those who have sent me records so far! Let's try and record even more mammals in 2013!

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.