9
THE QUEST FOR A YELLOW-NECK MOUSE!
Early in the new year I received a request from a friend, could I arrange some small
mammal trapping where it was possible to catch a Yellow-neck Mouse. My friend has an
acquaintance living in Manchester who has never seen this species. During the latest
sessions of the national small mammal survey we had caught a record number of Yellow-
necks and as there had been a lot of wet weather and many areas had been flooded I
thought it might be interesting to trap again on the grid points at which we had caught
animals before.
Having obtained permission from the land owner, my friend and I laid out two Longworth
traps at each of 15 points of the 45-point grid we have permanently set out in the wood.
We did this on a Friday afternoon and arranged to meet in Harlow at 7.00 am the
following morning. As this man was coming down from Manchester to see a Yellow-
neck Mouse, 1 decided to hedge my bets and set six traps along a hedgerow close to my
home (I have caught this species in my shed when they have been after stored apples).
On the Saturday morning I examined the traps close to my home; none were sprung. I
had a sinking feeling. What if none of those in the study area were sprung? Well, at least
we could leave the traps down and try again Saturday night. I arrived at the meeting point
at 7.00 am. My friend was already there but the chap from Manchester was not. 1 had
assumed he would be staying overnight with my friend, but no, he was travelling down
this morning. He arrived in Harlow at 7.20 am having left Manchester at 4.00 am.
When we got to the study area it was very wet indeed and the chap from Manchester was
without wellies. He made no bones about it, took off his socks and shoes, put on an old
pair of trousers and pressed on.
The first two grid points had no traps sprung. The third had one sprang; we had caught a
Wood Mouse. After Bill (the Manchunian) had examined the animal it was released.
Two grid points on, our efforts were rewarded and we had caught a Yellow-neck. Bill
looked at it carefully and we discussed the differences between it and the Wood Mouse
but Bill was not sure he could see them clearly so we kept the Yellow-neck with us as we
moved on to the next traps, thinking we were certain to catch another Wood Mouse for
comparison ("we always get Wood Mice here" we said). As we progressed along the
grid line we found we had caught Common Shrew (2), Pygmy Shrew (2), Bank Vole (2)
and another 2 Yellow-necks. It wasn't until we were at the last grid point that we found
another Wood Mouse. Bill was able to examine both species closely in detail before we
released them and made our way back to the cars. Bill went to my friend's home, had
some breakfast and headed back to Manchester (via "Woburn" to see Chinese Water
Deer) and he arrived home in Manchester in time for football in the late afternoon.
I forgot to mention that my friend is a "twitcher". Bill was once, but got fed up with the
crowds of twitchers that go to see all the rare birds and he now puts his efforts into
looking at Mammals. The Yellow-neck Mouse was Number 50 on his list of British
species seen; he must get full marks for commitment.
Alf Gudgion