more mammals!

[Ian Bond]

Once again apologies for digressing on to things without feathers (though in my defence my birds postings are winning 4:2 over non-bird postings)
Having tried to shed a bit more light on the Muntjac situation in the north east, and thanks to Ian Forrest for some useful info in that regard, I am now trying to update the situation regarding Harvest Mice.

Does anyone have any records of Harvest Mice from Northallerton northwards?  As it can be difficult to distinguish the moving animal from Wood (aka Field Mice) the only definitive signs tend to be the woven nests built off the ground in grassy-type vegetation, either tennis ball size for breeding nests or just bigger than a ping pong ball for day nests.  If you've seen a mouse climbing around the tops of grass stems then that would do for a harvest mouse record as well.  

In Cleveland there are odd recent records from Great Ayton through Guisborough and at Cowbar.  I wouldn't be surprised if they were found at a number of locations along that line.  They are also at Coatham Marsh.  North of the Tees they are at Bowesfield, Long Newton and just over the border, east of Sadberge.  Derek Clayton also found a nest at Dorman's Pool but that might have been the result of a re-introduction attempt.  I'm pretty sure they are no longer at Billingham Beck or Castle Eden Walkway were they were recorded in the 1980s.

Rather than bother birders with more mammal posts I thought I might as well go in for a penny....in for a pound.... and also ask for any good sightings of pine martens, panthers or water shrews.  The rest of Cleveland's non-flying mammals are probably reasonably well known (the usual prelude to demonstrating my ignorance!)

Hopefully the information will be of general interest but, if you would rather, feel free to post any records to my home address ian.bond105@ntlworld.com

Many thanks

Ian

[IanF]

I can help with two sightings of Harvest Mice both at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park. 10th June whilst I was sat watching Reed Warblers trying for a few photos a small mouse with long tail was feeding in the tops of grasses where Cowbridge Beck and Claxton Beck meet. I wasn't sure at the time whether it was a Harvest Mouse or Field Mouse but in hindsight the small size and way it was using it's long tail to cling on to the stems it seems it was more likely to have been the former. It popped up a couple of times. At the time I thought it a bit unusual.

On 10th July there was a dead one on a hard core path in more or less the same area between the hill and the beck which I'm pretty sure was a Harvest Mouse.

[Ian Bond]

Ian
This is fabulous news!  The prehensile tail bit is unique to harvest mice so that will be what you saw. 
I don't know if you knew but Cowpen Bewley is the first site where Stockton Borough Council tried to re-introduce harvest mice.  We found the remains of nests in the first winter after the introduction but nothing since so we assumed that all the mice had died out.  It would seem that we succeeded after all!  I suppose its possible that there was a relict population in that area although we did some surveys beforehand and found none, plus the area was previously a tip, so its not that likely.  I'm claiming it as a success anyway. (perhaps we can get a picture of one on the side of a Stockton bus  )

cheers
Ian

[IanF]

I hadn't realised there'd been any re-introduced here. There's a bench in the area where I saw them where I often sit a while as it's good for bids throughout the year. I'll certainly keep an eye out for them. It's not an area that ever gets mown so there maybe another chance for photos yet!

[steve ly]

I have lived in Guisborough all my life (nearly 50 years) and have spent many hours in and around Guisborough woods.
Deer are very easy to spot provided you look at the correct time (Dusk) and you keep quite and keep your eyes open. The only deer I have definitely identified are Roe deer. I did once though see what I thought was a Muntjac, although in half light it was difficult to tell for certain.
Many people I talk to say they have seen Fallow deer in the Guisborough woods, But I have never seen any sign of fallow deer.

Pine Martin,
Around about 1975 while walking toward Hutton village in the Forrest with my brother and dog, there was suddenly a commotion in the undergrowth and a rabbit came out followed by ?something?. This then stopped looked at us for a couple of seconds then turned and headed back into the bushes. It was about 15 feet away and up a bank side so was looking down on us
My brother and I discussed what we saw, dismissed Weasel, Stoat, Polecat and Ferret.
Believe it or not (and I have never disclosed this to anyone since) all we came up with at the time was either a Tasmanian devil or a wolverine, ( Not things seen in the wild of the UK but we were young and were not going to admit we did not have a clue what it was) we did not mention this to anyone.
A couple of years later we were watching a documentary on the TV about Scottish wildlife and a pine martin came on,
My brother and I both looked at each other and said that was what we had seen those years earlier,
Again not a confirmed sighting and it was a long time ago.  But If I were a gambling man, My money would be on a Pine Martin. I think the Tazzy Devil and Wolverine would be very good odds, but not worth a bet.