SardineCam 2

Two of my cameras have been on tour again, this time to Denise and Phil near Riding Mill in South Northumberland.  As before, one camera was set up with a sardine scent lure and the other was in a camera box.  SardineCam was set in woodland edge for the first week and within woodland the second week.  It recorded 1061 videos in all, most of which were of wood mice.  As last time, the mice were fascinated by the sardine smell.  A domestic cat also came by to sniff but the highlight was a roe doe.

Passers-by taking no interest in the sardines were fox, American grey squirrel, robin, blackbird, song thrush and wood pigeon.

The camera box was set at woodland edge in the first week and recorded 546 videos, almost all of wood mice.  In the second week I put it in a rough grass field, still not far from woodland. This time there were only 163 videos and almost all were of shrews - common shrew, pygmy shrew and, most excitingly of all, a water shrew.  There is a small garden pond nearby but the nearest large pond is 160m away across a railway line.  Here are the three shrews in frame grabs from the video to compare their size, body shape and tail length, common shrew above, pygmy shrew middle and water shrew below.

And here is the video.

It was fascinating to find another water shrew away from water, so soon after the one in my garden.  Here is a montage of more water shrew action, all high speed.

If anything the common shrew is even more frantic.  It was interesting to see it collecting the sunflower seeds I had put in.  Shrews are insectivores but water shrews and common shrews both take sunflower seeds in my garden.

The smallest of the three, the pygmy shrew, seems a bit less hyperactive.

We did get a glimpse of a vole but it was very shy and didn't venture past the entrance pipe.  I can't tell what it is with any confidence but from its size I suspect it is a field vole rather than a bank vole.

So no mustelids, which we were hoping for, and no wood mice in the field, but it was great to see all the shrews.  And it is fascinating that moving the camera 50m from woodland to grass completely changes the clientele.  I am not sure it will be worth persevering with the sardine lure but the camera box seems by far the best way to see small mammals.