Harvest mouse day
I'm always looking to improve my field identification skills, and expand my knowledge of British mammals. Last month (Saturday 18th November) my boyfriend Joe and I went along to the Mammal Society's first annual harvest mouse day at Doxey Marshes in Stafford. Doxey Marshes is a nature reserve characterised by rough grassland and wetland habitats, managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. At first glance, this reserve seemed an unlikely place for secretive mammals such as harvest mice ( Micromys minutus ), otters ( Lutra lutra ) and water shrews ( Neomys fodiens ) to inhabit since it's located right on the urban fringe, yet all three species manage to persist there. Doxey Marshes Nature Reserve in Stafford. The training course was fully booked and we were guided by Derek Crawley, the founder and chair of the Staffordshire Mammal Group since 1999. Derek was immensely knowledgable about British mammals, having been a Staffordshire Mammal Recorder since 1998, as well...