Staveley Mammal Walk

Yesterday I went on a mammal walk with the Yorkshire Mammal Group. We met in Staveley village, near Boroughbridge, and started off in the nearby Staveley Nature Reserve. We immediately found mole hills, rabbit holes and a fox scat. On the banks of the river on the north side of the reserve, we found an otter spraint, containing lots of fish bones and scales.

Otter spraint containing fish bones and scales

We followed a footpath across the fields, where we disturbed four roe deer and a brown hare, eventually reaching some woodland where we saw a grey squirrel drey. On the woodland margins there were holes and feeding sites of field voles.

Grey squirrel drey

Field vole hole and droppings

Further on, we came down to a stream where we found the laying up hole of an otter. In rough grassland around a pond we found lots of field vole holes and runs. We crossed more fields, finding clear badger prints along a field edge. Crossing the stream again we found the prints of a mink and some more otter spraint.

Badger prints
 
Mink prints (too small for otter)
 

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