Harvest mouse

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Sure that would depend on what you grazed on the land. Regarding harvest mice this style of cutting does them no favours

no I don't think its all thayt brilliant for invertebrates either, but it is still traditional management and better than no cut. I think an autumn cut makes it harder to dipose of the arisings because it can't be used as hay for livestock at this point.

[C C]

Voles nest.
Looks like a young un has made an attempt, or it could have been a nest busted up by something or other. When you see a Harvest mouse nest you will know, they are unmistakable. Except for the nests that are found on the ground, especially non breeding ones ,these can sometimes be confused with that of the shrew.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by C C

Voles nest.
it could have been a nest busted up by something or other.

me when i picked it up

[Mr Mag00]

a harvest mouse nest is about 6cm across and the ball is only made as a nursery, a dormouse nest is 15cm across

[vole-woman]

Harvest mouse - Micromys minutus: More Movies - ARKive

There are clips of harvest mice making nests on this site. You can see them shredding the grass.

On my blog there's a picture of what I think is a field vole nest, with the grass and reeds folded and woven.

[Meles meles]

from your description I would have almost deffinately said you saw a harvest mouse.
The nest though i have to agree looks like what was a Voles nest.
Probably disturbed before you found it.
Looks like it might not have been well placed out of view of a predator.

Who know maybe was some ones dinner last week.

[johnpw]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Regarding the meadow it is all to common, i have just completed a paper on harvest mice and effects on distribution, the destruction of meadows like this has serious negative effects on them, Try checking all the hedgerows, wasteland/field borders, brambles etc and you may find another nest, these are usually about 1 to 3 foot off the ground in grasses, can be higher in hedgerows.

Dogghound, do you have any experience of how far into a field of long grass harvest mice go? I have harvest mice but have been unable to find a nest while its occupied. I assume they would stay relatively close to the field margins but perhaps I'm wrong? Regards, John

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by johnpw

Dogghound, do you have any experience of how far into a field of long grass harvest mice go? I have harvest mice but have been unable to find a nest while its occupied. I assume they would stay relatively close to the field margins but perhaps I'm wrong? Regards, John

From my studies which where carried out last year, In field sites almost all nests where found near marins, beetle banks, hedgrows etc, however in wastleland or areas such as roadsides, verges etc they where often found away from the edges, regarding fields i think agricultural practices etc prevent them from spreading to far to the field centre, also they do have preferences for hedgerow fruits/seeds etc which arnt in the field center, another hypothesis i looked at was exposure, which is often higher in a field center. there where afew nests in field centers but on avarage they where never further that 8 meters from the field border.

Regarding the nest the best places to look are hedgerows, over grown field margins around drainage dykes with reeds and bramble patches. They are relatively easy to find and are sometimes interwoven into actual structured plant. hope this is what you were after.

[johnpw]

Thanks alot for sharing this very helpful information Dogghound. I'll keep looking.

[Julian]

i hope they are gonna pick all that hay up. If not they are doing even more damage by letting the nutrients back into the meadow.
Councils need to be told about their tidy practises not always being good. However,it may have been a fire risk. Last year we lost nearly 100% of one meadow here due to scumbags setting fire to it. About 20 acres in all. If it were burnt this way then no HM would survive at all.
Julian