Dormice getting ready for a Devon winter

I've been out with Jan again for some more dormouse training. It was one of those beautiful autumn days you have to store up against grey November. And this time we found lots of dormice in their nest boxes, getting ready for winter...




They looked distinctly fatter than last time.

One dormouse heard us coming. As we approached the box a golden head poked out of the opening hole. While I dithered, not wanting to bop it on the nose with the paddle used to close the box while it's being checked, the dormouse nipped out and headed up the tree. Ah well - we at least ascertained there was a healthy dormouse in that box, even if we couldn't weigh or sex it.

And it sat still for some photos. They're not brilliant - I had to rest the camera on a tree to keep it still enough for a non-flash pic, and that constrained the angle. But it's the best dormouse picture I have from the natural environment...



Meanwhile, my Dad says he's made another 15 or so dormouse boxes, so come next spring I should be ready to put them up and join the National Dormouse Monitoring scheme. Jan says I'm about ready for a licence, but I need to find another referee, and anyway I'd like a bit more experience checking boxes at other times of the year - for example when young dormice are likely to be there.