As most DMG members will be aware, a second dormouse reintroduction took place in the county this summer, with DMG taking responsibility for managing the operation on the ground. The reintroduction site is in the White Peak on land belonging to the Chatsworth Estate and lies a few miles north of the wood in the mid-Derwent Valley used in 2003 for the first Derbyshire reintroduction.
The two sites are very
different in character. The first is an old oak wood on the gritstone
fringe,
with a hazel understorey. The new site consists of dense hazel on a steep,
loose slope and is similar in many ways to the reintroduction site in
the
Staffs sector of the White Peak. There is a good mixture of other trees e.g.
ash, hawthorn, field maple, wych elm, sycamore, elder and shrubs
such as bramble
,
rose, blackthorn and white bryony that provide berries for fattening
up in the
autumn are also present. A
lot of hard work went into making this a success. Preliminary surveys of
the
site, negotiations with landowners and tenant, a detailed nut hunt to make
absolutely sure that there were no dormice already present, erecting 15
release
cages and 200 nest boxes, transporting the 33 captive-bred dormice then providing
them with food on a regular basis until they accustomed themselves to the
area. A very big thank you to the dormouse team and all the other DMG volunteers
who helped at the various stages, as well as to PTES, the captive breeders,
and the staff of Chatsworth Estate. On 3rd September we found two tiny pink
babies in one nest box and an anxious mother nearby, proof of successful
breeding,
and making all the effort worthwhile!
Dave Mallon
Photo of Dormouse by Debbie Court
Meanwhile, work continues at the first dormouse reintroduction site, now into its third year since the release of 34 captive-bred animals in June 2003. Nest box checks were carried out in June and September 2005. Approximately two thirds of the nest boxes were checked in June, which revealed five dormice. Three were in torpor, two were very much active! Interestingly, no dormice were occupying a traditional "woven" nest; indeed no such nests were found in any of the nest boxes checked. The dormice appeared to be making do with other species nest material! In September, the majority of the 200 nest boxes were checked. This time, nests were found, but only one dormouse was at home.
Steve Docker