September 24th. to 26th. Mammal Group Weekend.
Thetford Chase.
Five members met outside the Bull Inn at Barton Mills
on Friday evening, before being taken by the leader to the
recently acquired house of Don and Norma Chapman. Here
the damp weather put off most thoughts of camping and we
unrolled our sleeping bags in the warmth of the living-room.
The evening was spent in placing 36 Longworth small
mammal traps around the extensive garden. Saturday morning
saw us up before dawn, and Mildenhall Warren to the east of
Barton Mills was visited in the hope of seeing red squirrels,
but the party failed to see any, due, not doubt, to the poor
weather. However, two roe deer were seen and also some
excellent views of brown hare.
On our return to the house, examination of the traps
revealed a number of Woodmice and common shrews along with
a single bank vole. The weather began to clear after Breafast
and it was decided to visit the Norfolk Wildlife Park near
Norwich in order to observe more easily our British and
European mammals. Here, badgers and otters were of
particular interest, also the grey and common seals, not to
mention the deer we had hoped to see in the wild. On the
return journey a dusk deer—watch was held at Roundham Heath,
where we used the high seats in the forest, but with no
success.
Sunday morning we visited the Fifty Acre Plantation and
West Harling Heath Woods of the Forestry Commission. Here
there was plenty of evidence of red deer and possible roe or
fallow in the form of fresh tracks and older wallows, but no
deer were seen. The latter half of the morning was spent at
Cavenham Heath, a reserve of the Nature Conservancy where roe
deer had been reported. Again no deer were seen, but we did
see what was thought to be a crested lark.
On our return, examination of the traps revealed a
further selection of wood mice and common shrews and in all
a total of 20 small mammals of three species had been caught
and released.
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