Vote for your favourite British mammal

Berry McPaper-cuts
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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 12:25:06 GMT Frazz likes this

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Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Oct 9, 2016 12:25:06 GMT

This is harder than the bird one- I love so many of them from reading about them thanks to Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame to seeing them on television or when out and about.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/08/british-mammals-vote-conservation-royal-society-biology

And there in a wood a piggywig stood...

Liv
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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:00:54 GMT Frazz likes this

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Post by Liv on Oct 9, 2016 13:00:54 GMT

It is difficult. All animals are beautiful on paper, but in reality some are a menace. We've got an otter in the stream that borders our garden at the moment. I've heard him splashing about, but not seen him yet. Himself, armed with the torch, has though,. Apparently it is not unknown for otters to travel up tributary rivers from time to time.
A grey squirrel broke in the the eaves once and was skipping around. It sounded as if someone was moving crockery in the attic. I hit the soffit with a broom and it broke, spilling out a lot of greenery & the squirrel. Little tyke!
We see and hear foxes around here too. After losing a few chickens, my neighbour doesn't think much of them. We saw one from the bedroom window walking up the lane one Christmas Eve. There was a light dusting of snow and he walked under the lamp light. That was nice to see.
We've got owls & bats and this year a hedgehog has moseyed through the garden on a regular basis. The slugs have multiplied because I didn't put down pellets because of him.
All in all, if I had to choose one it would be Mr Hedgehog

Berry McPaper-cuts Full Member Posts: 27,067 Mood: FP Swim	Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:16:36 GMT Frazz likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Oct 9, 2016 13:16:36 GMT Well that's who I voted for- we have one that has us in his/her patch so I decided on choosing the hedgehog. How lucky are you to have an otter! Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.
	And there in a wood a piggywig stood...

Liv
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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:19:51 GMT Frazz likes this

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Post by Liv on Oct 9, 2016 13:19:51 GMT

I'm undecided about the otter. I'm sure he's beautiful but I can't help wondering if he'll be destructive in some way.
I also mourn the loss of all the shrews, mice & voles that have met their end through a killing machine named Ruby. I didn't realise we had that many scuttling about.

Frazz Full Member Posts: 20,277	Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:29:41 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 13:29:41 GMT It would have to be hedgehogs for me as well. You hardly ever see one now, it's even fairly rare to see one that has been killed on the road.

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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:31:22 GMT Nellie and Diamond Diva like this

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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 13:31:22 GMT

I couldn't vote for the now rampant grey squirrel as we have been plagued by them scavenging and nicking all the bird food and chewing through the feeders.

But....our native red squirrel is a rare creature and a treat to behold, they'd get my vote.

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Last Edit: Oct 9, 2016 13:32:32 GMT by Deleted

Liv Full Member Posts: 15,317	Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:32:52 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Liv on Oct 9, 2016 13:32:52 GMT No, hedgehogs are not very good at crossing the road. Definitely a creature that has not adapted to living in modern times. I'd love to see a red squirrel in the wild
	Last Edit: Oct 9, 2016 13:34:31 GMT by Liv

Frazz Full Member Posts: 20,277	Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:35:57 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 13:35:57 GMT Red squirrels are lovely, I've only ever seen one in the wild in Wales. I can see why grey squirrels appeal, but I hate them. Destructive little blighters!

Berry McPaper-cuts
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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 13:39:56 GMT Frazz likes this

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Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Oct 9, 2016 13:39:56 GMT

There is an NT site near Liverpool Frazz, where you can see the red squirrels.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/formby/trails/formby-red-squirrel-walk

Perhaps when you are next in Wales you could make the trip?

We have grey squirrels in the garden every day. Also a decimated shrew population...

Last Edit: Oct 9, 2016 13:41:24 GMT by Berry McPaper-cuts

And there in a wood a piggywig stood...

Nellie
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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 14:23:14 GMT Frazz, Diamond Diva, and 2 more like this

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Post by Nellie on Oct 9, 2016 14:23:14 GMT

I haven't seen a hedgehog - or evidence of one - for years but there are lots of foxes and badgers round here. Baby badgers are so cute as Frazz will confirm.

We we very lucky to see two red squirrels when we went to Anglesey in April. We visited Plas Newydd, a National Trust property, and spotted a couple charging about on the lawns.

Don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to.

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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 15:11:19 GMT Berry McPaper-cuts, Nellie, and 2 more like this

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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 15:11:19 GMT

I think we have regular nightly visits by hedgehogs, judging by the 'trail' they leave behind. We recently also found a baby toad in an empty plant pot left on a bit of dutch walling. I don't who was more surprised...it or us!

It's been some time but we did unexpectedly see a couple of red squirrels whilst checking out the Centre Parcs site between the A66 and the M6 up in Cumbria. Also in the protected forest near Gatehouse of Fleet village up in Dumfries, there's a very nice hotel there called the Cally Palace.

Frazz
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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 19:39:13 GMT Yorko, Nellie, and 1 more like this

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Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 19:39:13 GMT

When I used frequent Bangor back in the 70's, a favourite walk was to Aber Falls. We used to walk up via the public trail and come back on the other side of the river which was rocky and mainly woodland and where we would see red squirrels.

It was also where my the first husband spotted a salmon in a large pool about 15ft below where we standing. He decided he was going to catch it with his hands . . yawn . . I pointed out the pool looked pretty deep to me, but of course I was wrong, it was no more than 18 inches . . okay then?

So he climbed down, stripped off and jump into shoulder high freezing water flailing his arms around chasing a fish. I'm not sure who was laughing hardest, the salmon or me. O_o

Before the days of mobile phones and You Tube unfortunately.

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Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 19:52:00 GMT

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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 19:52:00 GMT

Oct 9, 2016 13:32:52 GMT Liv said:

No, hedgehogs are not very good at crossing the road. Definitely a creature that has not adapted to living in modern times.

I'd love to see a red squirrel in the wild

I had a hedgehog the other day, curled itself up just round a blind bend it did, I had no chance of avoiding it.

The only red squirrel I ever saw was in Central Park, NY.

Frazz Full Member Posts: 20,277	Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 20:00:59 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 20:00:59 GMT I was fascinated seeing black squirrels in Canada, as well as red and grey. They were a lot bigger than our squirrels too!

Yorko Administrator Posts: 34,155 Mood: Y	Vote for your favourite British mammal Oct 9, 2016 20:48:40 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Yorko on Oct 9, 2016 20:48:40 GMT Oct 9, 2016 19:52:00 GMT @lewis said: I had no chance of avoiding it.

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Vote for your favourite British mammal

Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Oct 9, 2016 12:25:06 GMT

Post by Liv on Oct 9, 2016 13:00:54 GMT

Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Oct 9, 2016 13:16:36 GMT

Post by Liv on Oct 9, 2016 13:19:51 GMT

Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 13:29:41 GMT

Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 13:31:22 GMT

Post by Liv on Oct 9, 2016 13:32:52 GMT

Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 13:35:57 GMT

Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Oct 9, 2016 13:39:56 GMT

Post by Nellie on Oct 9, 2016 14:23:14 GMT

Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 15:11:19 GMT

Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 19:39:13 GMT

Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 19:52:00 GMT

Post by Frazz on Oct 9, 2016 20:00:59 GMT

Post by Yorko on Oct 9, 2016 20:48:40 GMT