Bat Group

We have recently had two unusual bat species picked up while grounded with injuries. The first, another barbastelle, found on a fire engine in Camborne, may have been a traffic accident. This species lives mainly in cracks and splits in trees and is very difficult to find. We have no known roosts in Cornwall, although they probably breed here. This is the farthest record west.
The second was a Nathusius' pipistrelle found in a corn bin at Varfell, Ludgvan. This is the fourth Cornish record. The status of this species is still unclear in Britain. It is thought to be mainly an autumn or winter migrant from the continent, although recently two breeding colonies have been located: one in Lincolnshire and one in Northern Ireland.

Apart from these, it was also good to see two male noctules using a bat box at the Trust's Armstrong Wood reserve in October. Bat boxes are ideal for seeing bats that are rarely found in houses, and a wide range of species will use them. You will be less likely to have them occupied than bird boxes but it is well worth putting small groups of boxes in any area of woodland.

Daniel Eva


Mammal Group

A great day was had by all who attended the popular Dormouse Training Day led by Doug Woods, who is part of the national captive breeding programme. Doug covered all the ins and outs of dormice, including interesting facts such as why they aren't actually mice and how the woodmouse will eat the dormouse brain!

The day began at the Environment Agency headquarters in Bodmin with a slide show, closely followed by a demonstration on handling and sexing of the now rather plump
and docile creatures. The group were then allowed to get their hands dirty (or in some cases bitten) and have a go themselves. This didn't prove to be too much of a palaver, as half of them could hardly move - due to gorging themselves on nuts and berries ready for hibernation, often putting on half their body weight again in fat.

After lunch it was off to Cabilla Nature Reserve for a check of the dormouse boxes, which was highly successful: we found six, utilising ten of the boxes checked. A further excitement that day was finding a blue ground beetle Carabus
intricatus in one of the boxes - a great national rarity.

Due to popular demand we had to hold two dormouse training days. Further training days will be held in the near future and if anyone is interested in any other specific mammal training please contact the Cornwall Mammal Group.

Many thanks go to Doug Woods, who travelled down from Somerset to lead the day, and to all those who attended.

Alex Howie

An unexpected dormouse nest box resident - the rare blue ground beetle.

Photo: Alex Howie