25 February 2017
Event
Mice are Nice: biological surveying of small mammals
Organisers
Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trusts
Mice are Nice
Small Mammal Survey on Halsey Field
On Saturday 7th October, a small mammals survey was carried out on the Halsey Field.
Eleven Longworth small mammal traps were set in suitable places throughout the field on the evening of Friday 6th October. Each trap contained straw, peanut butter balls impregnated with seeds and a tablespoon full of casters, which are the larvae of blowfly. The traps were opened on Saturday morning at 7 am with the following results:8 out of the 11 traps showed signs of occupancy, though one trap didn't trigger, so 7 mammals were caught altogether.
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these were all Long-tailed Field Mice, also named Wood Mice (Apodemus Sylvaticus)
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5 were males, two of which were juveniles in their first year, and 2 were females, one of which was a juvenile.
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all the mice looked healthy and were a good weight.
This design of trap is humane, and all the animals were released back onto the field after being sexed and photographed.
A Long-tailed field mouse. This is the correct way to handle small mammals.
Sighting of other mammals on the Halsey Field include:
Shrew, Field Vole, Fox, Squirrel, Fallow deer and Muntjac deer. Evidence of Badger has also been found, in the form of droppings and a Badger sett has been found in the adjoining wood.
Badger Latrine found in the lower part of Halsey Field