Camera trapping - SN12 - 11th-18th March 2013

The third site seemed to have wonderful potential for all sorts of wildlife as Peter and Carole were developing it into a private nature reserve.  From their first year of living here, they had a quite extensive list of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, etc.  They were clearing trees in some areas and making log-piles with the wood.  Elsewhere they were planting trees, developing a pond, keeping chickens etc.  The site included steep rocky slopes going down to the Eastern Cleddau.

The Mostela was placed behind one of the larger log-piles, where there were plenty of gaps between logs to attract small mammals and perhaps the odd weasel or two.  But, surprisingly, absolutely nothing was recorded there.  Perhaps the log-pile was just too new.

A second camera overlooked a path where some unknown mammal had recently left a scat.  Whatever the mammal was, it didn't return.  But a woodmouse enjoyed the food scattered in front of the camera for a few nights.

The third camera watched a crevice under boulders where clearly something small had been living - the ground just outside was worn clear of vegetation.  This time there were at least one woodmouse and two bank voles taking the bait.

The video shows the bank voles - it's difficult to be sure which kind of voles they are from this video, but field voles have very short tails, and the glimpse of a tail here suggests bank vole - and all the other vole videos show clearly they are bank voles.

 

Thanks to Peter and Carole at Glyn-bach