The Polecat is one of the North East’s rarest and most elusive mammals. Shy and mostly nocturnal in habit, it is smaller than a domestic cat and very distinctive in appearance with dark fur, paler underfur on the body which shows through, and a bandit mask of dark fur around the eyes.

Polecats are members of the Mustelid (weasel) family which also includes weasels, stoats, pine martens, badgers, otters and American mink. They were on the verge of extinction in England by the end of the 19th century, mainly because of persecution by gamekeepers, but in recent decades they have been slowly making a comeback. They are now found (but rarely seen) across much of southern and central England but in the North East they are mainly confined to western parts of County Durham and southwest Northumberland.

I am indebted to Jane and Gareth Hughes for letting me set trail cameras on their land in Allendale. The first video shows a Polecat investigating the camera box.

The polecat’s scientific name (Mustela putorius) gives a clue to its notorious smelliness (another name is foul mart). I suspect this one left a scent mark in the camera box because nothing else visited for eight days. Then a vole came in but it was ten days before the first mouse – normally the box is a favourite with wood mice from the word go. Another of the cameras did catch the polecat leaving a scent mark elsewhere.

The next two videos show a Polecat exploring its territory, mainly by scent.

Polecats hunt and eat rabbits, but will also take rats, other small mammals, birds and amphibians. They prefer rural lowland areas and will often make a den in a rabbit burrow in summer, sometimes moving into farm buildings in winter. They mate in late winter, and the kits are born in late spring and are raised solely by their mother.

NHSN members Maureen and Alistair Stevens have kindly shared this trail camera recording of a family of young Polecats in their barn in Hexhamshire in daylight. This video has no sound.

There is a National Polecat Survey underway until the end of this year, organised by the Vincent Wildlife Trust. If you see a polecat, particularly if you have a photo or video, be sure to report your finding.

The post North East Nature Journal: The Polecat appeared first on Natural History Society of Northumbria.

It is not every day that a new terrestrial mammal species is recorded in the UK.  In fact the Greater White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura russula) is the first in a century, discovered only four years ago.  It came to notice when a photo of a shrew brought in by a cat in Sunderland was posted on Facebook and was noticed by local mammalogist and ecologist Ian Bond.  It looked different from any of our native shrews and was subsequently confirmed to be a new British species.  How it got here is not established but looking back at earlier photos of dead shrews it has probably been present at least since 2015.

You can’t see the white teeth unless you have a live-trapped or dead animal but the Greater White-toothed Shrew can be identified by being medium-sized for a shrew, having grey fur, large protruding ears, white hairs on its tail and a distinctive nose profile described as looking like a Womble or a Clanger (if you are young enough to remember those).  The zoomed-in screen grabs from trail camera video freeze-frames aren’t the best quality but this is the nose shape and large ears,

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and here you can make out the white tail hairs.

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All these are clearer on the trail camera video.  These few clips are all I have so far and because we are looking at a shrew they are fairly brief.

The camera box was placed close to a hedgerow in Elemore Park, only a mile or so from Easington Lane where the original Greater White-toothed Shrew was recorded.  A few interesting observations about the recordings: all were in daylight and Greater White-toothed Shrews are known to be mainly diurnal in habit; there were a few Common Shrew recordings but no Pygmy Shrews, a few Field Voles but no Bank Voles; and no Wood Mice, which was a surprise.  I had enough videos of Common and Greater White-toothed Shrews to make this short slow-motion comparison video.

The Greater White-toothed Shrew is a resident of much of Western Europe and some of the Channel Islands.  It was discovered in Ireland in 2007 and is causing concern there because its spread has completely displaced the native Pygmy Shrew.  The small mammal ecology of Ireland is different from ours as there is only one native shrew, one mouse (Wood Mouse) and one vole (Bank Vole, accidentally introduced in the 1920s).  The Greater White-toothed Shrew lives at much higher densities than the Pygmy Shrew and probably out-competes it by eating all the food.  Since its discovery here a monitoring programme has been put in place by the Mammal Society, mainly involving barn owl pellet dissection, to monitor the spread of the Greater White-toothed Shrew and its effect, if any, on the Pygmy Shrew.  It won’t necessarily have the same impact as in Ireland as the small mammal ecology of Great Britain is different with a wider range of small mammals and predators.  In Ireland this is classed as an invasive species but although there is now evidence that the Greater White-toothed Shrew has spread across the eastern half of County Durham the effect on Pygmy Shrews is unknown, so here it is a non-native species.   Genetic analysis suggests the Sunderland shrew came from France and not from Ireland.

Our three native shrew species, Common Shrew (Sorex araneus), Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus) and Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens), all have red-tipped teeth whose enamel is strengthened with iron.  As a reminder, here is what they look like on trail camera.  The Pygmy Shrew is very small and slim with a long furry tail.  The Common Shrew is chunky in build, has only a medium length tail and is tricoloured on the sides, dark, medium and light.  The Water Shrew is large and is black and white.

The discovery of the Greater White-toothed Shrew highlights the importance of citizen science and recording observations.  Mammals are some of the most under-recorded species in Britain so if you see a shrew or any small mammal be sure to report it to the Mammal Society or to iRecord.

The post North East Nature Journal: The Greater White-toothed Shrew appeared first on Natural History Society of Northumbria.

Beginner or expert, everyone can take part in the North East Bee Hunt. If you’re unsure about how to submit your records, a guide to using iRecord can be found here. If you are unsure which bee you have seen, please get in touch with us on social media or by email at nhsn@ncl.ac.uk – we’ll try our best to help.

Below, Charlotte Rankin highlights your records and observations over the past fortnight

As we approach the end of July, a fantastic 1,750 records have been submitted to The North East Hunt. Over 160 recorders across the region have submitted records of 36 confirmed species, with Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) representing the species most frequently encountered so far. Included in these species are those less frequently encountered in the region and with very few known records.

The distribution of records is increasing with each fortnight and your records are building a much better understanding of bee distributions in the region. Going into August, there is still time for bees to be observed and mapped – can gaps be plugged in the west of the region this fortnight? If you have sighted a bumblebee and are unsure on its identification, try this bumblebee crib sheet by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and the online photo guide by leading bee expert Steven Falk. Please do also get in contact with us via nhsn@ncl.ac.uk or social media, and the NHSN Bee Team will try their best to help.

By collectively putting bees on the region’s map, we can build a greater understanding of where bees are and how they are faring in the region. All records are checked and verified by experts on iRecord and made available to inform monitoring and conservation efforts.

Bees seen this fortnight

A number of bee species have been recorded this past fortnight including three particularly special species in the region. Bilberry Bumblebees (Bombus monticola) have been observed busily foraging in the Cheviot Hills while two new solitary bee species for The North East Bee Hunt have also been sighted along the Tyne: the Wool Carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) and the Gold-tailed Melitta bee (Melitta haemorrhoidalis).

Bilberry Bumblebee

Bilberry – or Mountain – Bumblebees are a locally common species in the region, found in North Northumberland and the North Pennines. As the name suggests, this species is generally associated with higher altitude and moorland areas (monticola meaning ‘mountain-dweller’) with plentiful Bilberry. This species looks very similar to the much more common Red-tailed Bumblebee, but the red tail of Bilberry Bumblebee covers most of the abdomen and both females and males have yellow banding.

Wool Carder bee

One of the largest British solitary bees, Wool Carder bees are robust bees with distinctive yellow spots down the sides of the abdomen. On the wing from June to August, females are unique among British bee species to use woolly hairs of plants as nesting material. Lamb’s-ear (Stachys byzantina) seems to be a firm favourite for gathering nesting material and females nest in hollow stems, dead wood and bee hotels. Males are highly territorial and defend flower patches against other ‘intruders’ by tackling – and sometimes injuring – unwanted visitors. With one record each from Wylam in South Northumberland, Berwick and County Durham for this species in the region, a record from Walwick is particularly exciting.

Gold-tailed Melitta bee

Gold-tailed Melitta bees are very specialist species found in areas with plentiful Harebell. Females collect pollen exclusively from Bellflowers (Campanula spp.) – typically Harebell – and so are often seen with bright purple pollen loads on their hind legs. Their scientific name ‘haemorrhoidalis’ refers to the orange-red tail tip of the females. On colder, overcast days you may be lucky enough to find dozing and sheltering males inside Harebell flowers. On the wing from July to August, females excavate nest burrows in the soil. While there are few records of this species in the region, do keep a lookout where there is plentiful Harebell as there may well be more sites to be discovered.

By Charlotte Rankin, local naturalist

The post North East Bee Hunt 2020 Update #9 appeared first on Natural History Society of Northumbria.

The aged oak woods of Allen Banks stand as one of the best places in the North East to observe a range of scarce, upland passerines. Visit during late spring to savour the ‘spinning penny’ song of the Wood Warbler, or observe monochrome Pied Flycatchers making short, purposeful flights to snag insects in woodland clearings. The steep slopes here provide a true boon to birders and lucky visitors may also enjoy Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Green Woodpecker; as well as countless more abundant species.

Graylings at Cambois

Cryptic yet beautiful colouring provides the Grayling with excellent camouflage – making it difficult to see when at rest. These underappreciated butterflies are hard to come by in our region; though they can be found along the disused railway lines of Cambois. Pay a visit during July to enjoy the looping and gliding flight of this seldom seen insect, remembering to pay special attention to areas of bare ground – Grayling are the masters of disguise.

Orchids on Lindisfarne

The dune slacks and boggy areas of Holy Island provide a botanical feast for the senses, home to many rare and scarce plant species – including one found nowhere else in the world. Take a walk around the peripheries of the island to enjoy delicate Marsh Helleborines in their thousands; as well as both Common Spotted and Northern Marsh Orchid. Tread carefully and stay vigilant while visiting the lower slopes of the dunes here and you may also note the Lindisfarne Helleborine. An inconspicuous gem once thought to be a form of Dune Helleborine, now recognised as a species in its own right.

Reptiles at Pow Hill

Pow Hill is a moorland overlooking the Derwent Reservoir. The site is widely (and rightfully so) known to be one of the best sites at which to observe reptiles in North East England. With a little patience, and a spot of luck, visitors can expect to see Adders, Slow Worms and Common Lizards – with all three particularly prominent on warmer days, when they seek out basking spots. If visiting, please remember to stick to designated pathways

Terns at the Long Nanny

The Long Nanny tern colony is located between the villages of Beadnell and Low Newton, encompassing a sizable expanse of the exquisite Beadnell Bay. Internationally recognised due to its importance for breeding Arctic and Little Terns; the site is well worth a visit during the summer season. The sight of countless angelic, swallow-like seabirds dancing in the air unprecedented for mainland Northumberland. National Trust wardens keep a watchful eye on the colony during spring and summer and are often more than happy to aid in interpreting the actions of the characterful birds spread out across the beach.

Kittiwakes on the Tyne

The Newcastle/Gateshead Quayside holds the world’s most inland breeding colony of kittiwakes. Returning from their maritime explorations in March, these delicate gulls put on a fine show amid the clubs and eateries of urban Newcastle, providing observers with an entirely unique experience. Despite well-reported instances of some birds facing hardship over recent years, the Tyne kittiwakes remain a cherished part of the city’s wild heritage. It is well worth a visit in spring to savour the sight and sound of breeding seabirds in the heart of the urban landscape.

Otters at Gosforth Nature Reserve

Gosforth Nature Reserve is home to many and more iconic and elusive species. It is, however, the otters which give visitors the greatest delight. Otters may be encountered at the reserve year round but recently, have been especially prominent. Take a walk through quivering reedbed to the Ridley Hide, or pop-in to the Pearce Hide for a chance to encounter this aquatic mustelid. With a touch of patience, you will not be disappointed. Non-members wishing to attend GPNR should purchase a day-pass before attending.

By James Common, NHSN Communications Officer

The post What to watch in the North East this Summer appeared first on Natural History Society of Northumbria.