Mammal of the day

[loripo]

A few years back I used to have to travel weekly from London to Fareham via Winchester. I used to 'collect' things I'd seen on the journeys. Muntac and young leaping through a water meadow. A swan gliding past a horse that was standing in water by a flooded river. Rabbits, foxes, white foxgloves and all the yellow flowers that seemed to grow in the gravel along unsed lines.
Oh and two crop circles!

[agrumpycow]

We were very happy to see two adult foxes with a cub at a local nature reserve late this afternoon . They just strolled across the path in front of us - no picture of course, I was afraid miss a second of them

[Jeapesy]

My mammal of the day (yesterday) was a stoat which ran out right in front of me while on my walk last nite. Stopped for a second or two but just as i'd lined up the camera to fire off a few shots it disappeared within a flash. Just my luck.

[vole-woman]

At least you saw it.

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Jeapesy

My mammal of the day (yesterday) was a stoat which ran out right in front of me while on my walk last nite. Stopped for a second or two but just as i'd lined up the camera to fire off a few shots it disappeared within a flash. Just my luck.

I've never come close to getting a shot of a stoat, they always disappear too quickly!

While I'm here, I saw a Muntjac Deer yesterday. Rather curiously it was in the middle of a gigantic arable field.

[vole-woman]

I know it's not very exciting, but I've got a little wood mouse in the greenhouse. I suspected he was around because he's been leaving droppings, but this morning I picked up the bag of bird food and he jumped right out. And boy, can they jump! I think my family thought I was being murdered when they heard the scream.

[thebeard]

the herds of fallow and red deer at wollaton park in nottingham were nice to see today, although they're not particularly 'wild' per se, its always nice to see them, especially the big red stag. huge antlers, incredible!

[aestarte]

My mammal of the day is a squirrel we have a tree stump in our garden and I leave nuts still in the shell and the next day the shells are all over the place and the nuts are gone. The squirrel is quite tame as well so it makes me smile every morning. X X X X

[Mark3]

My mammal of the day for yesterday has to be a Field Vole. We was mowing a path at work using the tractor and i noticed the grass that had just been cut moving so i had a closer look and it was a field vole, so i picked it up and moved it to a safe area My mammal of the day for today is a roe buck which i spotted in the woods on my way into work

[vole-woman]

Glad the vole didn't get squished!

I had a water vole attack my bag this evening. I'd set up my little stool and had my camera ready, and then the brambles parted by my feet and the vole peered out. I sat really still and it didn't see me; it made a bee-line for my bag, which had an apple in it, and started dragging the bag towards the bank with its teeth. I didn't especially want to lose my bag, but I didn't want to scare the vole. Anyway, it gave up after a minute and I managed then to get some photos (it had been too close before).

I've had something similar happen with a rat, but never a water vole so close.

[acherontia]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

I know it's not very exciting, but I've got a little wood mouse in the greenhouse. I suspected he was around because he's been leaving droppings, but this morning I picked up the bag of bird food and he jumped right out. And boy, can they jump! I think my family thought I was being murdered when they heard the scream.

Not unexciting at all! We have 'one' that bombs between our hide/outbuilding and the droppings from the bird feeders. He/She's so fast I haven't labelled it yet as wood/field/bank etc etc! One day I'll photograph it....


Acher

[aeshna5]

Mine was the Hedgehog last night at Perivale Wood during the mothing session. My first sighting of the year, though I have seen their tell tale signs!

[shirl]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Glad the vole didn't get squished!

I had a water vole attack my bag this evening. I'd set up my little stool and had my camera ready, and then the brambles parted by my feet and the vole peered out. I sat really still and it didn't see me; it made a bee-line for my bag, which had an apple in it, and started dragging the bag towards the bank with its teeth. I didn't especially want to lose my bag, but I didn't want to scare the vole. Anyway, it gave up after a minute and I managed then to get some photos (it had been too close before).

I've had something similar happen with a rat, but never a water vole so close.

That's brilliant! Not had one attack my bag but one got so close to my foot I couldn't move for 5 mins! I think the apple might have been a bit too tempting for your wv.

Shirl

[vole-woman]

I've heard they sometimes steal from fishermen's lunch boxes.

What surprises me is that different colonies seem to have different psyches, so some are really shy and others really bold. It doesn't matter whether they're urban or rural, either.

[Pete Collins]

I think this gentleman in Ashridge was my Mammal of the Day:



On a very long walk round the Ashridge Estate (Herts/Bucks border) I spotted Fallow Deer seven times, including at least 80 in a large field where they are normally to be seen.

[Mark3]

My mammal of the day is a weasel i spotted at work. I was just going down the path and noticed something move at the side of the path, it wondered on to the path and just stood there for a few seconds then it was gone in a flash

[philipc]

Mine would have to be a badger. Have lived were I am for 30+ years and never seen one in the garden. Tonight I saw one twice, not bad given the urbanisation of the area.

I am guessing it’s the pond that attracts them and the many other critters, if you have the space and its safe to do so I would recommend one.
A pond that is...

[Pete Collins]

On a longish walk today, a friend and I followed part of a footpath alongside Whipsnade Zoo. We stopped to take some photos of elephants in the distance (can't really claim them as mammal of the day!), then as we turned round to resume our walk I saw this Hare just a few yards ahead of us. It tried unsuccessfully to get through the zoo fence, then came even closer to us, before turning and scampering off down the path.

[aeshna5]

Watching the rut of the Red Deer in Richmond Park, with plenty of roaring stags + harems forming, though little real aggression.

[aeshna5]

Today walking down a lane near home to Ten Acre Wood, Hillingdon when I saw something run across infront of me. It was either a Stoat or Weasel, but view was brief, though on size I was erring on side of latter. A few small birds were interested + followed the mustelid when it came back across the path, revealing it was indeed a Weasel, followed by a couple of Wrens, Dunnocks, female Chaffinch + tits.

Soon after this a Grey Squirrel was running away from me along the path when I spotted a Fox just sitting there with the squirrel approaching it. The squirrel stopped + sat c3 metres from the Fox for some seconds before turning back again. The Fox appeared oblivious to the squirrel which I expected to be an easy meal. The Fox seemed to be more interested in me, watching me, then approaching a couple more metres + eventually disappearring into the hedge.

Some nice mammal moments today!

[vole-woman]

Why would the little birds follow the weasel? What a sight!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Why would the little birds follow the weasel? What a sight!

They rightly consider the Weasel as a potential predator, so by following it, the Weasel won't mount a surprise attack + they were trying to move the Weasel on. Generally I don't think small birds are regular prey items (though ground nest chicks can be), but if an oppurtunity arises I'm sure a Weasel will take it. Generally mice + voles are more common prey items.

Similar behaviour really to waterbirds swimming towards a Fox or Dog + following it- the reason duck decoys were so successful.

[vole-woman]

Well, you learn something new every day! Thanks, aeshna5.

[TeresaW]

For the first time I've managed to get a photo of a Red Fox today. I've often seen her trotting past my front door, if I've been up and about early enough. She uses our little cul-de-sac as a short-cut to the cemetary although she has to cross the main road.

She was limping a bit, which is I suppose why she was out so late, (just 30 minutes ago), but she used good road sense to get across the road and in between the houses to the patch of waste ground behind, but before that, she stopped for a breather right outside.

[vole-woman]

Beautiful!