The Blackdown Hills Big Bat Survey 2012
For the second year running Somerset Environmental Records Centre is running a bat survey in the Blackdown Hills.
A training workshop for those interested in taking part will be run in Churchinford on May 25th, and the survey itself will take place on July 20th.
For more information please visit the SERC site here: http://www.somerc.com/view-news/2012/03/09/The+Blackdown+Hills+Big+Bat+Survey+2012/
Exeter University Bioblitz – cancelled due to bad weather
For more info see: http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/birdsandbees/bioblitz-2012/
Build a box for wildlife…
Organised by the Dartmoor National Park Authority, this event will allow you to get hands on and build a home for some of the wildlife in your garden. Please see this poster for more details.
DNA tests disprove big cat theory in Gloucestershire deer deaths
The recent discovery of two partially-consumed Roe deer carcasses on National Trust land near Stroud in Gloucestershire led to suggestions that feral big cat might be the predator responsible.
The National Trust commissioned DNA tests on the deer to look for any evidence of feline saliva. None was found, but fox DNA was discovered on both carcasses.
NT official statement: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/news/view-page/item726163/
BBC News article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16760593
Local media coverage: http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/trace-big-cat-DNA-scientists/story-15105889-detail/story.html
Small is Beautiful – a talk by Dr. Johnny Birks
- Thursday, November 3rd
7:00PM - 9:00PMSmall is Beautiful – a talk by Dr. Johnny BirksThe White Hart Hotel
South Street
ExeterSmall is beautiful – why are we neglecting our smaller mustelids?
A talk by Dr Johnny Birks & a select mammal auctionThis talk will explore the troubled history and current status of four poorly understood members of the weasel family: stoats, weasels, polecats and pine martens.
Drawing upon experience gained from recent work with The Vincent Wildlife Trust, Johnny will describe efforts to improve our knowledge of their ecology and distribution, and will ask why these attractive mammals have been so neglected by researchers.
Johnny is chairman of The Mammal Society (DMG is affiliated) and an ecological consultant. There will be a short question and answer session about the role of The Mammal Society and local groups and about being a consultant. Johnny is a lively speaker & an entertaining and fascinating evening is guaranteed!
Auction – going, going, gone…
There will also be a small, select auction of mammal related goods
to raise funds for The Mammal Society including:- a picture donated by Simon Drew (internationally recognised artist)
- otter photograph
- books and other quirky items.
DMG members £1.50 Non members £3.00
BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL AS NUMBERS ARE STRICTLY LIMITED
Mammal Society responds to government announcement on badger culling
The Mammal Society has responded to the government's announcement earlier today that pilot culling of badgers to control bovine TB may begin next year: http://www.mammal.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=386:badger-cull-response&catid=53:news
2011 AGM and Otter Talk
The 2011 Devon Mammal Group Annual General Meeting will take place at the White Hart Hotel in South Street, Exeter on Thursday May 26 at 7pm, and will be followed by a talk by Dr. Daniel Allen.
Dr. Allen is the author of the recently published book “Otter”. He will be talking about his lifelong enthusiasm for otters, sharing lively anecdotes from folklore, traditions, popular literature and television and discussing the ongoing challenges otters face around the world. His PhD was on otter hunting and he is an affiliate member of the ICUN/SSC Otter Specialist Group.
Signed copies of “Otter” will be available to purchase for £9.99 (cash sales only please).
Space is limited so booking is essential for members and non-members. Please book via our website contact page (you will receive confirmation).
Costs: DMG Members – Free, Non-DMG Members – £3
New study suggests climate change may be linked to earlier deer rut
New research by Cambridge and Edinburgh universities shows that Red Deer on the Scottish island of Rum are now rutting earlier in the season than in the past. Studying the breeding records of over 3,000 individual deer over a 38-year period, scientists identified 6 key events in the rutting process which are now occurring between 6 and 12 days earlier than they did when the records begun.
The researchers believe this may be linked to warmer weather in the winter and spring leading to longer growing seasons for the plants that make up the deer's diet, allowing them to gain weight and be ready for rutting sooner.
Have any DMG members noticed seasonal mammal activity occurring earlier in the county? If so please let us know via the contact page and we'll include your comments in our next newsletter!
BBC article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12190450
And the original journal article for those with an ATHENS login or similar: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02382.x/abstract
Rat populations in oil palms – a Malthus connection?
DMG member Brian Wood will be giving this talk to the Devon & Cornwall branch of the Society of Biology at 2pm on Saturday 11th December. The talk looks at the population dynamics of rats in palm oil plantations, and relates these to the dynamics of human populations.
This is an open event, and any interested DMG members are welcome to attend.
The talk will be held at the Biocatalysis Centre, Streatham Campus, University of Exeter.
Dormice on the A38
One of our members kindly let us know about a piece on the BBC's "The One Show" which looks at a Dormouse population living on the central reservation of the A38 in the Haldon Forest area. If you're interested you can watch the programme on BBC iPlayer here. The piece on dormice begins at 22 minutes into the video.
