Came across this tiny chap while I was in Heave, near Kendal. I didn't have my Gadget for scale, but he wasn't much over an inch long. He (she?) didn't seem to be bothered by my presence at all, which was worrying - surely even baby mice know to run by instinct? But it didn't look ill and it kept stopping to eat. Great big back legs, anyway; I'm guessing wood mouse.
He yamps about like a gerbil we used to have. Last year there were mice in our wood pile (bees this) but they seemed much longer and skinier than this chubby chap. I suspect ours may have been house and this one is wood/field.
I've seen plenty of mice like this one - sadly they're usually dead or injured, in my utility room, courtesy of my cats. Occasionally I manage to rescue one before it gets shredded. You're right - they never seem too scared of humans, and I've managed to entice them into jam jars so I can take them out.
This blog charts the fortunes of water voles in and around the Whitchurch area, North Shropshire. Water voles are one of the UK's most threatened mammals, extinct in many counties, and so it's vital they receive as much monitoring and protection as there is going. Here in Whitchurch we're lucky enough to have them right in the middle of town - how cool is that?
4 comments:
Very sweet Kate:)
He yamps about like a gerbil we used to have. Last year there were mice in our wood pile (bees this) but they seemed much longer and skinier than this chubby chap. I suspect ours may have been house and this one is wood/field.
I've seen plenty of mice like this one - sadly they're usually dead or injured, in my utility room, courtesy of my cats. Occasionally I manage to rescue one before it gets shredded. You're right - they never seem too scared of humans, and I've managed to entice them into jam jars so I can take them out.
It seems everyone's tripping over the things except me. :) Maybe I should check my hedgehog house and see if there are any mice in there.
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