where can I see mammals?

[wildsusy]

I never see any mammals other than foxes, hedgehogs, house mice, water voles, roe deer and the usual aliens! (rabbits, rats, grey squirrels and mink) My field skills are somewhat limited I feel, and I would love to know where to spot all sorts of animals I haven't yet seen; mustelids, shrews, mice, etc. I live on the edge of southwest london, bordering surrey. Does anyone know where I can go to look for specific species, and what exact sort of habitat to watch out for them in? Any tips? I am very keen to see small mammals, and otters too.

Many thanks

Susy

[aeshna5]

Hi Susy. As you're aware seeing mammals is often a lot trickier than seeing birds. Field craft is important + looking for tracks/ feeding signs, etc, but how about looking at the activities of your local wildlife trust (London or Surrey)/natural history society.

If you can afford it enrol in a Field Studies Council or Mammal Society course targeted at mammals. Often small rodents + shrews are encountered by trapping using Longworth traps. I find Weasels + Stoats tend to be chance encounters, though I know sites where the odds are greater.

The London Wetland Centre isn't too far from you + they do many evening bat walks in season + is probably the top site in the area with c8 species at times.

[healfdan]

You are ideally located with Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath, Richmond and Bushy Parks on your doorstep. Why not visit these sites, preferably in the spring and with a companion. Successful small mammal spotting requires not only visual contact but picking up scents and listening for barely audible sounds. Small mammals often betray their presence as they move through the low vegetation and with pygmy and common shrews they often give themselves away by their chattering. As Aeshna 5 mentioned, weasels and stoats are more often chance encounters, as they bound from one ditch to another. When you are walking it pays to occasionally look over your shoulder, as weasels often wait for you to pass before breaking from cover. Also be prepared to sit it out in some quiet spot, where there is plenty of grass tussocks or low vegetation that offers the creatures cover. Focusing your attention on your immediate surroundings and waiting patiently, will often produce surprising results. Bear in mind that although skill at reading the signs plays a big part, so does luck. Good Hunting

[nigel_b]

I think for otters you will need persistence, commitment and some skills which you will pick up along the way. Find a quiet footpath alongside a river possibly out in the countryside but certainly not essential.

Walk it and study the bank. Take a look on here for descriptions of otter spraint and try and locate that first. My kids think I am mad but I can get nearly as much enjoyment from finding a new otter spraint site as I can from seeing the otters themselves!

Enjoy and let us know how you get on.

[wildsusy]

Thankyou everybody for your replies I think that in the coming (warmer) months I will take a few hours every week to go to some places, strategically place myself somewhere suitable, and listen, and wait.. I am ideally located near a lot of good places, so I should be spoilt for choice. No doubt I will report back with my findings

[camo]

Susy

I wont repeat what others have said but mammals do take a little more application however this is offset by the high opportunity of finding visible evidence. Evidence might include; footprints, pooh, tracks, smells, vegetation damage, discarded food and scratch marks.

The simple general advice i would give is to spend as much time and as early as possible in the mroning in places where you know particular Mammals exist.

Talk to people who know and learn the signs and then spend time walking and watching.


Roy

[featherandhay]

Hi Susy

I think you're doing very well. I live in a very rural location on the Welsh border, and by no means go round with eyes shut, but its been months since I've seen a fox: apart from one sighting last summer, years since I've seen a live hedgehog: decades since I saw a house mouse (though we get mice in the house, they are Apodemus rather than Mus). I've only ever seen 3 live watervoles in my life, and never seen a live mink or a roe deer. On the other hand, hares are reasonably common, squirrels and rabbits are all over the place and unfortunately I've seen two dead otters on the roads in the last 3 months. though only ever seen live ones on the Hebrides. Badgers are numerous here and polecats are even more so.

Largely goes to suggest the urban environment is pretty good for wildlife generally and certainly mammals. Land which is cultivated or extensively farmed argably may tend to support a smaller, possibly somewhat less diverse, certainly shyer and more unobtrusive mammal populaion.

Cheers
Ric

[wildsusy]

I am lucky enough to see roe deer fairly often here in Surrey, lovely animals.. as for hedgehogs, I've not seen one for ages sadly, and I hear they are in decline. I'd love to see all the mustelids, as have NEVER seen any native ones in the wild...only seen them at the British wildlife centre (which for the record is a great place to visit, especially if, like me, you haven't seen many different wild animals. They have red deer, roe deer, muntjacs, fallow deer, all the mustelids, red squirrels, birds of prey, adders, shrews, voles, mice, and lots more.)
I think my best bet for now is to go to specific hotspots for particular species, ie; Newborough Forest on Anglesey for the red squirrels, and mainland north wales for polecats.. If anyone knows any other great sites, please do let me know.

Susy

[ViperaBerus]

Best thing to do is sit in a spot and wait quietly and still. You will be amazed at the creatures that will amble past during the evening.

[camo]

I am very fortunate to have seen most of the mammals in the wild and regularly see a number of your species, but it is not about luck. Because time is precious I believe a good approach is to increase your chance of success as much as is possible.

I think with mammals you can do that in 4 ways

Knowledge Location, timeliness and patience.

Knowledge, understand as much about the signs of activity as you can. For for example with Otters know the smell of a spranit, for Fox recognise feeding signs and for Deer understand the marks left by bark gnawing. You can gain knowledge here on the site, from books and from talking to people. Wildlife Trusts are great and will have field study opportunities.

Location, spend as much time in the places where you have evidence of the species you are looking to see. If its Badgers you want then go out and find the Set and watch it at dusk. If it s a Black Squirrel you want go to Letchworth and if its an Edible Dormouse Buckinghamshire is your place. All these locations can be found out about quite easily but dont sit in Devon and expect a Pine Martin.

Timeliness improves chances enormousley. With limited time go at right time of day and target species when they are most active. Otters focus on when the night is short and go early in the morning (4am) because at that time Otters will be feeding through into daylight. Fox are easiest to find when they have cubs as they need more food and they leave a big mess. Dont expect to find a Hedgehog in the midday sun.

Patience is a virtue and as long as you sit, well camoflaged in a place where a mammals exists and at a time they are active you will see it. some take longer and others follow the script but you can magnify your chances of success by working hard at home, being dilligent and keep quite and down wind.

I appreciate i have introduced a number of sweeping statements with out backing them up but please ask anything of the people here many of the subscribers have excelant knowledge.

Lastly i would say watch the roads for casualties they are a sure fire sign of local populations.

Roy