National Polecat Survey 2014-2015

Vincent Wildlife Trust are launching a new polecat survey to gather up-to-date information on the current distribution of polecats in Britain and investigate introgression between polecats and ferrets. This survey follows on from 2 previous surveys carried out by VWT in the 1990s and 2004-2006.

They are keen to receive records of polecats, polecat-ferrets and feral ferrets from all over mainland Britain, including Montgomeryshire. The survey will start in January 2014 and run until the end of 2015. For more information, click here.

Otters

Two otters were feeding this morning in a perch stocked pool on the boundary of Cors Dyfi and Morben Isaf caravan park. Here's one of them!

(Image Alan Davies)

Otters at Cors Dyfi

Three otters captured on Stealth Camera on December 11th at Cors Dyfi. An adult and two juveniles.

Great Otter footage

Today I was sent this short, but sweet video of three Otters on the Afon Cain in Llanfechain - many thanks to Jake Stephen (www.jakestephenphotography.co.uk). Two of them spraint at two different locations, under the bridge. Great footage!

Strange sound from Yellow-neck

Whilst checking the dormouse nest boxes at Coed Pendugwm Nature Reserve the other day, I found two Yellow-necked Mice in one box, one male and one female. Once in the bag, the female constantly made a sound which I have never heard any mouse make before.

I'm guessing it was a response to the stress, maybe even a warning to stay away. I would be interested to know whether anyone else has heard something similar.

New bat species recorded in Montgomeryshire

Guest blog, courtesy of Simon Cope, Chair of Montgomeryshire Bat Group...

The Nathusius' Pipistrelle is known to migrate long distances, with populations in Eastern Europe flying south and west for the breeding season. The resident population in the UK is boosted during the summer by these migrants, and they become especially obvious during the Autumn when the males establish 'lekking roosts' from which they spend many nocturnal hours calling to attract females that are flying overhead. Although there have been occasional instances of Nathusius' Pip's in our neighbouring counties, they have never been detected in Montgomeryshire, until now!

During a survey near Newtown in the last week in September, a member of the Montgomeryshire Bat Group recorded a very special series of calls. In addition to the characteristic echolocation calls of Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, the sonogram included some with a peak frequency down at 38kHz. This was later confirmed by a national expert as our first record of a Nathusius' Pipistrelle. As well as its rarity, the lack of previous records is probably also due to the low numbers of people listening, so the challenge now is to gather more records and to find some roosts - a process that is being carried out all over the UK with varying degrees of success. If you would like to get involved, please contact the Montgomeryshire Bat Group.

The sonogram which clinched it!

Dormice; rare, or just elusive?

I have been reading a very interesting and thought-provoking book! 'Living with Dormice' by Sue Eden challenges the accepted wisdom that the Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a rare woodland denizen, rather that they are a common, if elusive, rodent. Whilst her work is based very much in Dorset, it rings true with my growing experience of this gorgeous creature here in mid-Wales.

One area which seems to have been generally overlooked is the relationship which the dormouse has with other rodent species, particularly the Wood Mouse and Yellow-necked Mouse. Sue tells us that, in her studies, she has found very few dormice in her boxes in years when these other mouse species are abundant and vice versa.

This morning, I have been out once again with Nick Young from Natural Resources Wales, helping him check 50 boxes in a woodland near Forge. Last time I was there I marveled at the number of boxes occupied by dormice, but this time was even better! I will never forget seeing a bag of five very active dormice in constant motion! Nor will I forget my first dormouse bite from one angry mother, which, whilst a shock, was nowhere near as painful as that delivered by a Wood Mouse! In all, we had ten healthy dormice in the 50 boxes and a good proportion of the rest contained empty nests. Compared to my monitoring at Coed Pendugwm Nature Reserve, where all year only one box has been occupied (out of 100!), this is astounding and got me thinking.

I asked Nick whether he had ever had other mouse species in his boxes and following a check through his notebook, he confirmed that he hadn't. At Coed Pendugwm, I get at least one Wood Mouse during every visit and once I have had a Yellow-necked Mouse too. The latter species has never been recorded further West than Coed Pendugwm (in Montgomeryshire), so its absence and the low numbers of Wood Mice in the Forge wood could go some way to explain the good numbers of dormice in boxes there.

Thanks very much to Sue Eden for further opening my eyes to the fascinating world of the Common Dormouse. I would recommend that anyone with an interest in this species read Sue's book.