Dormice spotting

[vinnychameleon]

Iv got dormice living locally (found dormouse eaten nuts e.t.c) But have never actually seen them? I was wondering if I went to where I find the nuts and put up peanut bird feeders and some scattered berries and waited would I have a chance of seeing them? thanks

[thunder]

I was once told that one of the best ways of seeing Dormice is to wait until the Blackberries are beginning to ripen. Find a wood with brambles growing along the western edge, go into the wood at dusk and lie down on your back with your head towards the edge of the wood, look up and wait. You should then be able to see the Dormice clambering about the brambles, silhouetted against the western sky. Ought to work with Hazel bushes as well. I have not tried this method!

henrya

[vole-woman]

That would be something!

You could always join your local survey team (via your county Wildlife Trust). They you might be lucky enough to hold a sleeping one.

[The Woodman]

Originally Posted by thunder

I was once told that one of the best ways of seeing Dormice is to wait until the Blackberries are beginning to ripen. Find a wood with brambles growing along the western edge, go into the wood at dusk and lie down on your back with your head towards the edge of the wood, look up and wait. You should then be able to see the Dormice clambering about the brambles, silhouetted against the western sky. Ought to work with Hazel bushes as well. I have not tried this method!

A good method and one that does work - only in areas with Dormice though!

It's also amazing what else you see.

[eekoh]

The only times I've seen dormice are been when I've been monitoring nest boxes - sometimes in the boxes, sometimes on the tree above the next box where they must have heard us coming and hopped out ahead of us.

If your garden is close enough to the woodlands then you could put up a nest box and you might be lucky enough to have them move in, though once they've set up home you can't keep opening up the box to take a peek.

As suggested by someone else, becoming a volunteer surveyor for your local dormouse project is probably about the most reliable way to see them up close.

Btw, if anybody here is involved with the essex & suffolk dormouse group I'd love to hear from you as I've haven't had any luck getting in touch with the group so far. I'm already licensed and I've been working with cheshire & north wales group for the last two years, just moved south for a new job and would like to keep on with the dormouse work here.

[vole-woman]

That might have been one of your mice pictured above, eekoh, as it was from a site just on the Shropshire/Welsh/Cheshire border.