Spotting mammals

How to find elusive animals

in the country,watching wildlife woman looking through binoculars We share the knowledge of how and where and how to spot some of the most elusive native mammals in action

Pine martens

in the country,Northern Ireland,watching wildlife,Country Living wildlife trust - pine marten

The pine marten is a beautiful, cat-like member of the weasel family: dark brown with a creamy chest and throat patch and a bushy tail. They are very agile and climb trees easily. Although they are carnivores and will catch mice, voles and squirrels, they also eat insects and fruit and have a sweet tooth. They can be seen mainly in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland. Spotting them can be difficult unless you can find a place where they are regularly fed, such as the National Trust\'s Crom Estate in County Fermanagh. Speyside Wildlife (www.speysidewildlife.co.uk) runs pine-marten watching on the Rothiemurchus Estate at Aviemore.

Photo courtesy of Darin Smith/Sussex Wildlife Trust. There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With 670,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK\'s habitats and species.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

Seals

by the sea,watching wildlife,Country Living helen whittle - seal head

Two seal species live around our coast: the common (or harbour) seal and the grey. The former is found mainly on the east coast of England, the latter on the west coast of England and Wales, and both live around the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. They can be difficult to tell apart and mixed groups are often found together. Grey seals have a Roman nose and a slightly horsey look while common seals have a more rounded head. Try the Farne Islands for greys while common seals live on the sand spit of Blakeney Point in Norfolk and on the Isles of Scilly, Skomer and Lundy. Both species can be found around the Scottish and Welsh coasts as well as at Cloghy Rocks National Nature Reserve (NNR) at Strangford Lough, County Down. If you are not in a boat, view from safe lookout points on cliff tops.

Photo courtesy of Helen Whittle

Red deer

in the country,watching wildlife,Country Living Neil Beamsley - red deer stag

These are the largest native land mammals in Britain. The best time to see them is from September to November when the stags, with their magnificent antlers, are rutting, but July is also a good time as the hinds have just had their calves. Red deer are widespread throughout the Highlands of Scotland - try Glenmuick and Craig Meagaidh NNR - and they can also be seen in the Lake District, Exmoor, the Quantocks, Thetford Forest, the New Forest and in Gosford Forest Park in Northern Ireland (www.gosford.co.uk). They are also in deer parks such as Richmond Park, Surrey; Lyme Park, Cheshire; and Eastnor Park, Herefordshire.

Picture courtesy of Neil Beamsley

Mountain hares

Ireland,Scotland,watching wildlife,Country Living 123 hare sitting in field Most people know of the brown hare, "the Mad March Hare", but fewer are aware of the mountain hare. In Ireland, however, this is the only hare and it is abundant on farmland where grass is short - Lough Neagh is noted for them. In Scotland and England they thrive on managed grouse moors, where they hide in thick heather but eat the young shoots that sprout on newly burnt patches. The Scottish mountain hare turns white in winter while the Irish one may not change colour at all, or just becomes piebald. It is largely found in the Scottish Highlands - hot spots are Glenmuick and, in summer, on the northwest side of Glas Maol and on the southern tip of Cairnwell, with a small population in the Peak District along the Derwent Edges.

Badgers

in the country,watching wildlife,Country Living sussex wildlife trust - badger The UK has the world\'s highest density of Eurasian badgers. They live mainly on earthworms and dig setts in hedgerows or woodland. This is one of the easiest mammals to spot by yourself in summer. First find an active badger sett during the day (huge piles of soil will be visible), then go back to the spot half an hour before sunset, with the wind blowing from the sett towards you. Sit quietly about 10 metres away and lean against a tree or thick bush. Be patient and use binoculars. To watch with others, contact the National Federation of Badger Groups on 020 7228 6444 or visit www.nfbg.org.uk to find your nearest group.

Photo courtesy of Darin Smith/Sussex Wildlife Trust. There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With 670,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK\'s habitats and species.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

Water voles

in the country,watching wildlife,Country Living wildlife trust - water vole

After seeing its habitat shrink rapidly in the 70s and 80s, the water vole then had to contend with a new predator - the North American mink. The number of water voles in Britain is now seriously depleted but there are still places where they are hanging on. Look for holes just above water level, often with a little "landing stage" outside. Some canals, such as the Kennet and Avon, are very good and reed beds, like those on the Suffolk coast or on Brownsea Island, can also shelter them. The best places are Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserves such as Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, Barn Elms in west London, Martin Mere in Lancashire and Penclacwydd in Wales.

Photo: Darin Smith/Sussex Wildlife Trust

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT)
There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With 670,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK\'s habitats and species.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

Red squirrels

in the country,watching wildlife,Country Living 123 red squirrel eating nut The red squirrel is native to Britain and is smaller than the American grey. The surviving pockets of reds, which live mainly in coniferous woodland, are under constant pressure from greys as well as from a squirrel disease called parapox virus. However, they are still found in the Scottish Borders and the north of Scotland, in Northern Ireland (try Belvoir Forest Park, Belfast) as well as in parts of Cumbria and Northumberland. Further south they are easy to see at Formby on the Lancashire coast, and they can also be spotted on Brownsea Island, Dorset, and in woods on the Isle of Wight. Sitting still at the base of a tree will make you almost invisible to a busy red squirrel, the only UK mammal truly active in daytime.

Dormice

in the country,Southwest,Wales,Country Living surrey wildlife trust - dormouse

The furry-tailed, gingery dormouse spends most of its active life climbing around in trees and shrubs, and hibernates for up to seven months of the year. Even in summer, if food is scarce or the weather is poor, it will curl up and go into a deep sleep called torpor. Dormice live mainly in the south and west of England and Wales and are historically connected with hazel woods, but they can turn up in gardens and even hibernate in clumps of pampas grass. Dormice are rare and protected. To track one down, go on a dormouse course run by the Mammal Society (020 7350 2200; www.mammal.org.uk) - an expert with an appropriate licence will be able to show you one.

Photo: Dave Williams/Surrey Wildlife Trust. There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With 670,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK\'s habitats and species.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

Otters

in the country,Northern Ireland,Scotland,Wales,watching wildlife,Country Living 123 otter head Once almost extinct in Britain, otters are still endangered but are recovering well. They live mainly in lakes and rivers, even venturing along small streams. Except for those that live in the sea, they are generally nocturnal, in order to avoid humans. Shetland is excellent for spotting otters, as are Kylerhea Otter Hide on Skye, Toomebridge in County Antrim and Bosherston Lakes in Pembrokeshire.
For further information, contact the Mammal Society (020 7350 2200; www.mammal.org.uk).

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