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A RECENT MAMMAL SURVE YOF WHETMEAD RESERVE AT WITHAM
Whet Mead reserve is owned by the local council. It is a disused rubbish tip, on land that
was once a sewage works. It has the river Blackwater to the east, the river Brain to the south
and the A12 trunk road to the west. The north edge adjoins farmland planted with willows. A
councillor involved with the reserve contacted Chris Miles of the E.W.T. requesting
assistance in a mammal survey of the reserve. In a round about way it was to me that the
request came.
During late spring I visited the reserve for the first time and had a look at the type of habitat
there. Considering the fact that it had been a rubbish tip I was rather surprised how well it
was covered with growth of shrubs and tall herbage. There was a lot of rough grass, a long
row of hawthorn on the side of a bank beside the river Brain, nettles, Umbellifers, burdocks
and a marshy area with patches of sedge. There was tall scrub and trees alongside the A12
and two disused lagoons with reeds, Willowherb and more sedge. Oh yes I also found Bee
orchid growing on one of the banks formed when the site was filled.
After a discussion with a colleague it was decided we would do the trapping during the week
beginning 9th November 1992. We would use 50 traps, these were to be placed at random
spacings in the various areas of the reserve. On Monday 9th Nov. we met the reserve warden
at 2pm just as it started to rain.Nevertheless we put down all 50 traps, having some in each
different habitat. By the time we had finished we were glad of our torches to find out way
back to the car.
Tuesday morning was chilly but bright and we were very pleased with the catch: 22 Wood
mice, 4 Bank voles, 1 Field vole, 2 Common shrews, 1 Pygmy smew and 2 Harvest mice. A
total of 32 animals from 50 traps. We checked the traps again before dark and found we had
caught 5 new animals and 2 recaptured individuals.
Overnight there was prolonged heavy rain and the water laid fairly deep on some areas, in
the lagoons it had risen halfway up one trap. Fortunately the trap was placed correctly and
when we opened up the shrew inside was tucked up inside the hay, warm and bone dry.
Another 27 new animals were caught and a further 16 recaptured. It was intended to leave
the traps down for a third night, but as so many animals and species had been caught we
decided to pick them up Wednesday morning.
The final figures of animals caught were:
Woodmouse 38 + 15 recaptures
Bankvole 12 + 2 recaptures
Common shrew 5
Pygmy shrew 5
Harvest mice 2+1 recapture
Short tailed field vole 2
Whet Mead appears to have a good population of small mammals. I had hoped to catch
Water shrew, but we may be more fortunate in the future, who knows we could get Yellow
neck and House mice to make a full house.
Alf Gudgion
Arthur Hicks, B.N.A.