Share

Dormouse discovery

Dormouse by Bev Lewis

Staff and volunteers at the Trust are delighted at news that dormice have been found at a new site.

Footprints of the elusive small mammal were found in a footprint trap set deliberately to try and find signs of the species at Hollybed Farm Meadows nature reserve not far from Castlemorton in the south of the county. Hazel dormice are protected by law and licensed surveyors use a number of methods to capture signs of their presence.

The harmless traps, which record the footprints of animals that pass through them, were set up in several hedgerows around the 40 acres nature reserve, which is undergoing restoration following its purchase in 2013.

Tomos Holloway, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s Reserves Officer responsible for the management of the reserve, explained “This is such exciting news. We had previously put up nesting tubes to survey for them from 2016 to 2019 but found no evidence. Not to be deterred, we tried again this year and have been delighted with the results!

“We’ve known for a little time that dormice are in the area and were really hoping that our sensitive management of hedgerows on and around our nature reserve would encourage them onto our land.

“We’re restoring the meadows at Hollybed but it isn’t all about the wildflowers in the fields; the whole nature reserve and, hopefully, the wider area need to work together as one large unit in order to maximise the benefit to wildlife and to us.”

Dormice are largely nocturnal and use hedgerows, understoreys of woodlands and trees to live in and to move through the countryside. Well managed hedgerows in particular offer a great source of food from nuts and berries to insects and flowers.

The sleepy creatures can spend more than seven months of the year in hibernation, tucked up at the base of trees or in hollows in the ground.

Dormouse footprints on a sheet of paper by Dave Smith

Dormouse footprints by Dave Smith

Common survey methods are to erect nest boxes, which can be periodically checked throughout summer by a licensed surveyor for signs of occupation, and footprint traps that can be placed in likely dormice thoroughfares. Dormice footprints are distinctive with almost triangular-shaped pads arranged in an arc.

Despite the difficulties in surveying their populations, records show a long-term decline in both numbers and range. In Worcestershire they’re mostly found in older woodlands on the western edge of the county.  There are eight sites in Worcestershire, including the Trust’s Monkwood and Crews Hill nature reserves, that are part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Project.

Tomos added “Now that we know they’re in one section of hedgerow, we’re excited to continue working with our licensed surveyor, Dave Smith, to see if they can be found across more of the site.

“It’s great to know that we’ve been able to provide more habitat in the area for them and we hope that both they and other wildlife will thrive in this beautiful little corner of Worcestershire.”

Visitors to sites that might have dormice are encouraged to look for and report any nibbled nuts. Dormice nibble a perfect circle in hazelnuts and experts are able to confirm the presence of dormice from good photos or from the nut itself.

Related news