Review of 2019 and 2020 - Mammals

MAMMALS (MAMMALIA)

My mammal-recording efforts aren't very systemmatic as I don't record every example of common mammal that I see but here's a summary of those I encountered in 2019 and 2020.



RODENTS (RODENTIA)


Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis - One of the common species I don't record properly.  I occasionally see them in the garden and more often at the meadows.

Grey Squirrel, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th September 2019

Grey Squirrel, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th April 2020

Grey Squirrel, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June 2020

Water Vole Arvicola amphibius - I was pretty sure that some holes along the edge of the dyke next to the railway at the bottom of the meadows belonged to Water Voles.  They looked like the animal had accessed them vertically from the water whereas I understand that Brown Rat holes would show a horizontal rat-run access from the sides.  It was over a year before I actually saw a Water Vole here, on 25th May 2019, and that was a pretty poor view.  It was initially completely hidden but I could see dead reed stems being pulled into the vegetation.  Eventually I saw the animal, albeit only very limited partial views.  Spring 2020 produced much better views as an adult and a youngster showed well on 19th and 22nd April.  The youngster showed again on 2nd May and one was seen again on several occasions up to 25th May.

Water Vole hole, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th January 2019

Water Voles, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2020

Water Vole, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2020

Bank Vole Myodes glareolus - Good views of one obtained at Lackford Lakes on 23rd February 2019.

Bank Vole, Lynford Lakes, 23rd February 2019

Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus - this is the most likely ID for two mice seen well, one in my garden (where it was seen scurrying up to an empty fat-feeder (intended for birds) and hiding in the hole, and one at the meadows.  Without seeing the underside of their neck I can't absolutely rule out Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis as the ID for either of these, however that species is apparently rare in this part of Norfolk whereas Wood Mouse is very common.

probable Wood Mouse, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

probable Wood Mouse, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th August 2019

Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus - None - sadly no repeat of the Harvest Mouse that graced my garden one day in 2017.


Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus - Seen twice at the Cathedral Meadows, on 22nd March and 10th May 2019.

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RABBITS (LAGOMORPHA)


Brown Hare Lepus europaeus - I'm sure I saw others but the only ones I recorded in Norfolk in 2019 were at Sennowe on 17th April.  Although I have seen the species in the North Elmham area, including at Spong Hill in April 2020, I haven't yet seen it at the Cathedral Meadows (or in the surrounding farmland viewed from there).  Also some young Hares at Fidden on Mull in June 2019.

Brown Hares, Sennowe, 17th April 2019

young Brown Hare, Fidden (Mull), 9th June 2019

Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus - Regularly seen at the meadows among other places.

Rabbit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th April 2019

Rabbit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th April 2020

Rabbit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

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HEDGEHOGS (ERINACEOMORPHA)


Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus - None - the last one I saw alive was in my garden in 2017.

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SHREWS and MOLES (SORICOMORPHA)


Mole Talpa europaea - Plenty of evidence of their activity at the meadows but I haven't seen an actual live mole anywhere since 2013.  No Shrews recorded.

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BATS (CHIROPTERA)

I acquired an Echo Meter Touch bat detector in late October 2020 so hope to be able to record more bats in future but this was a bit late in the season to get started so not much to report yet.

Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus - One identified using Will Soar's Echo Meter at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.  Several detected using my new Echo Meter at different points round the meadows between 30th October and 13th November.  Also a day-flying bat at Foxley Wood on 10th July which I think was either this species or Soprano Pipistrelle.

Common or Soprano Pipistrelle, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus - Several detected with the Echo Meter at different points round the meadows between 30th October and 13th November.

Soprano Pipistrelle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

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CARNIVORES (CARNIVORA)


Red Fox Vulpes vulpes - 1-2 recorded at least 5 times at the meadows in each of 2019 and 2020.  One young fox was watched chasing Pheasants in one of the neighbouring fields, with great ineptitude.  It would eye up a particular Pheasant in the distance and then start running at it, apparently not noticing other Pheasants that it was running straight past, and then give up the chase before it reached the target.  Maybe it was already well-fed and just larking about, but the Pheasants didn't seem to be very worried.

Red Fox, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th July 2019

Red Fox, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2019

Red Fox, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd May 2020

Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus - Common on Mull where 90 counted at Eilean an Fheoir on 11th June 2019.


Otter Lutra lutra - I didn't see any in Norfolk in 2019 or 2020 but seen on Mull in June 2019 with one near Carsaig and one at Dervaig.  I am aware that they're in the Wensum just below the Cathedral Meadows so they ought to be visible from the meadows on occasion.  I've had no sign yet though...

Otter, Carsaig, 10th June 2019

Badger Meles meles - A wonderful view of 2 Badgers at Great Wood in Borrowdale on 5th April 2019.


Stoat Mustela erminea - Seen on 2 out of just 3 visits to Burnham Overy in 2019.  None in 2020 and these were the third and fourth consecutive years that I failed to see a Weasel Mustela nivalis.

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EVEN-TOED UNGULATES (ARTIODACTYLA)


Wild Boar Sus scrofa - None seen but some were heard when I stopped between Sant Vicenc and Torrelles de Llobregat (Spain) to look for moths.


Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus - Frequently encountered at the meadows, or rather from the meadows as I don't think I saw one actually on the meadows themselves all year.  This included a family of 2 adults and 2 young - not sure I've ever seen any so young they're still spotty before.

Roe Deer family, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2019

Roe Deer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th October 2020

Roe Deer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th November 2020

Roe Deer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November 2020

Red Deer Cervus elaphus - My only records in 2019 were from Mull where they were frequently encountered.  The individual photographed was taken from the cabin where we were staying at Carsaig.  None in 2020.

Red Deer, Carsaig, 10th June 2019

Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi - Frequent at the meadows.  A calling animal on the green in North Elmham was visible from my study window one day in 2019, the first confirmed record for my house (though I'm pretty sure I've heard them on a number of occasions).

Muntjac, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Muntjac, Stiffkey, 16th October 2020

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CETACEANS (CETACEA)


Bottlenose Dolpin Tursiops truncatus - 3 lots of 3 dolphins watched from our holiday cabin at Carsaig in June 2019 were probably this species although I'm not very experienced with dolphin identification and wasn't 100% certain. 

A Diamond without diamonds

The night of 9th June was an odd one.  Not all that many moths but still a good selection of micros.  New for the house was a species I am used to seeing during the day but not coming to light - Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella.

Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, North Elmham, 9th June

Good counts were 6 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella and 5 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella while London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella was new for the year.  Other notable micros were Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella and Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella.

London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolelle, North Elmham, 9th June

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, North Elmham, 9th June

The other micros were 9 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea and Small Magpie Anania hortulata. Interestingly one of the Diamond-backs lacked a pale line down the dorsum or almost any trace of the diamonds.  The only hint was that the sides between the diamonds were darker than the rest of the sides of the wings.  I did dissect it just to make sure...

Dimaond-back Moth Plutella xylostella (female), North Elmham, 9th June

Among the macros only Common Footman was new for the year.  The others were 2 Common Swifts, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, 3 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Clouded Border, Waved Umber, 2 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, 2 White Ermines, 5 Cinnabars, Shears, Light Brocade, 2 Brown Rustics, 9 Treble Lines and 2 Mottled Rustics.

Common Footman, North Elmham, 9th June

Waved Umber, North Elmham, 9th June

Only a couple of caddisflies but these included my first Limnephilus marmoratus (and a Limnephilus lunatus).

Limnephilus marmoratus (female), North Elmham, 9th June

I think this beetle found in the house is Cantharis cryptica.

Cantharis cryptica, North Elmham, 9th June

We're getting our garden done at the moment and in removing our old shed the gardener found a couple of mice.  One was a casualty which he put out of its misery but the other seemed ok so he showed me.  I'm not sure it was ok, as it's not very normal behaviour for a mouse to lie on its side in the open, but as dead as it looked it was definitely breathing.  A Wood Mouse I believe.

Wood Mouse, North Elmham, 10th June

It was a better night for moths with 45 species including Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Treble Brown Spots, Brown Silver-line, Heart and Club and Burnished Brass all new for the year.

Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, North Elmham, 10th June

Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Barred Marble Celypha striana, North Elmham, 10th June

Heart and Club, North Elmham, 10th June

Burnished Brass, North Elmham, 10th June

Other moths were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 52 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 3 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 4 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 9 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 3 Common Swifts, Blood-vein, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 6 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Broken-barred Carpets, Green Carpet, 3 Sandy Carpets, Mottled Pug, 7 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, 2 Light Emeralds, White Ermine, Buff Ermine, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Small Square-spot, 2 Shears, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 4 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Marbled Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor, 12 Treble Lines and Mottled Rustic.

A subimago Procloeon bifidum was a new Mayfly for me (a second invidivual was not positively identified).

Procloeon bifidum, North Elmham, 10th June

Also new was the caddisfly Polycentropus flavomaculatus - only at the time I posted this, and for 2-3 weeks after, I had it down as Polycentropus irroratus.  Females are quite difficult, at least for a novice, as after a few more I eventually concluded that the pointedness of the subgenital plate illustrated in the key is quite hard to determine, and looks rather more pointy in flavomaculatus than it's meant to.  The other caddis were in the genus Limnephilus including lunatus, marmoratus and vittatus.

Polycentropus flavomaculatus (female), North Elmham, 10th June