The Derbyshire Mammal Group carried out it’s second annual survey of small mammals at the reserve on the weekend of the 4th to the 6th September 2015. Over the three sessions 53 specimens of four species were recorded and released. The mix was 42% Pygmy Shrew, 26% Common Shrew, 17% Bank Vole and the remaining 15% were Wood Mouse.
It is interesting to note that during the same weekend last year, no Pygmy Shrews were recorded. OBC member Ian Wildbur, who is also a member of the Derbyshire Mammal Group and was involved in the surveying, commented:
Small mammal populations do peak and trough. Pygmy shrews suffer in cold wet winters because of the effect it has on their prey items. This winter just gone was fairly mild, therefore maybe more over wintered giving them a good start to this years breeding season.
For information on the mammals mentioned above, the Derbyshire Mammal Group web-site can be found here