I am aware that there have not been many field meetings this year. The meeting held at Priestley Wood in April was well attended but not, unfortunately, by small mammals!! I hope to see you at some, if not all of the following:-
This is an under-recorded part of Suffolk and we shall be meeting to record many of the common species, as well as, with luck, some of the less common. If enough people attend, we will divide in to small working groups and visit a number of sites.
Contact: Colin Jacobs (01502) 569136
Meet on the road near Mutford Great Wood TM490888, north east of Mutford Church.
Again, if enough surveyors turn up, we will divide in to small working groups to enable a large area to be covered. We will be looking for many of the common mammals, but especially deer, the presence of harvest mice and rabbits, yes rabbits, which are very much under-recorded in this area.
Contact: Colin Jacobs (01502) 569136
Over the course of two days we will be surveying much of the woodland in this area, covering 4 tetrads.
We will be looking for deer, squirrels, badgers and especially small mammals. Surveyors will be allocated a tetrad to survey, which will include placing, setting and emptying your own small mammal traps - so come prepared for an interesting time.
Contact Jeff Martin (01206) 241255
Please remember that, although the autumn is a reasonably good time to record mammals, it can also be a time when the weather may not be at its best. When attending field meetings you should always come prepared with a packed lunch and ideally, a hot drink. Good stout footwear and warm clothing are also essential most times.
There will be a further set of mammal field meetings in the spring and details of these will be advertised in the autumn White Admiral.
I was recently given a copy of Key to British land mammals by its author, Simone Bullion of Flatford Mill. This laminated fold-over identification guide is a super little publication for all those aspiring to get to better grips with our mammals. Its four double-sided pages fold down to a size which is just a bit bigger than White Admiral. On one side of the guide are colour pictures of all of Britain's mammals. Some readers may find the illustrations familiar, as they are the ones which appear in the Reader's Digest book of British Animals. Each illustration has the main identification points indicated.
For me, however, the best part of this guide are the descriptions and key identification points which are printed on the reverse side. Each group of animals, from shrews to deer, are dealt with in a clear and simple manner.
I am pleased to see that it is a joint venture between the Mammal Society, AIDGAP and the Field Studies Council. At the modest price of £2.50 this makes an excellent, inexpensive guide especially for younger naturalists, although many older ones would also benefit from using it.
Copies may be obtained from the Mammal Society, 15 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4BG (Tel: 0171 498 4358) or from Flatford Mill Field Studies Centre.
I recently read an article in a Sunday newspaper which reported how much the Grey Squirrel is devastating the hazel nut crop in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. A few months ago I was talking to a prominent Suffolk naturalist who remarked upon something which I, and I am sure others, have been wondering, and that is, just as the Dormouse is preparing to build up its body reserves, prior to hibernation, is the food that it heavily relies upon for that event, the hazel nut, being readily devoured by our 'charming' invaders?
I am indebted to all of those recorders who have submitted ermine stoat records over recent years. I was very pleased to receive the following records from Colin Jakes and Philip Horsnail. All of Colin's records relate to Lackford Reserve, and make interesting reading, whilst Philip's relates to Cavenham Heath. It seems that, to date, although ermine stoats can be found almost anywhere in Suffolk, you stand a better chance of seeing one in the north-west of the County.
If you have any ermine stoat records please send them to me. I hope to publish a fully updated map for Suffolk in the future.
18/03/1986 full ermine west of the sailing lake
25/02/1989 full ermine Alder Carr
20/01/1990 full ermine near Bill's hide
09/02/1991 full ermine east of Fuller's Mill
22/03/1992 partial ermine exact location not recorded
04/01/1997 partial ermine Sheepwash Wood
28/03/1993 full ermine being chased by c10 rabbits
When sending in your records please do not forget to include the grid reference.
Jeff Martin