Very small rodent ID
 

In message , Sacha
writes
On 21/8/08 23:18, in article , "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
Looking out of the kitchen window today the children saw a tiny mouse
climbing, sitting for at least ten minutes in and then disappearing from,
some ivy and jasmine climbing that wall. When they called me to see it, I
thought they were going to show me an 'ordinary' mouse but this was tiny
with a very dark brown back and - given I had only a quick glimpse of it
moving - what I thought were quite large ears. The location it was in is
right up against the kitchen chimney wall where the Aga gives out some
warmth and where sparrows roost in various plants, too. There is plenty
of
cover there and birdseed too, from time to time. If anyone can suggest
what this little thing is or point me at some pics, I'd love to show them
to
the children. TIA.


Just a long shot.. could this be your Mouse?

http://images.google.com/images?q=Ha...ie7&rls=com.mi
crosoft
:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1 &ct=title

Size looks right but not colour. Ours was very dark as to fur.

How about the Bank Vole
http://images.google.co.uk/images?gb...bank+vole%22&s
tart=42&sa=N

We have them in our garden and one regularly would pop out of the
shrubbery to feed on seed spilt underneath the bird feeders.

--
Robert

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 10:38, in article , "robert"
wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 21/8/08 23:18, in article , "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
Looking out of the kitchen window today the children saw a tiny mouse
climbing, sitting for at least ten minutes in and then disappearing from,
some ivy and jasmine climbing that wall. When they called me to see it, I
thought they were going to show me an 'ordinary' mouse but this was tiny
with a very dark brown back and - given I had only a quick glimpse of it
moving - what I thought were quite large ears. The location it was in is
right up against the kitchen chimney wall where the Aga gives out some
warmth and where sparrows roost in various plants, too. There is plenty
of
cover there and birdseed too, from time to time. If anyone can suggest
what this little thing is or point me at some pics, I'd love to show them
to
the children. TIA.


Just a long shot.. could this be your Mouse?

http://images.google.com/images?q=Ha...ie7&rls=com.mi
crosoft
:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1 &ct=title

Size looks right but not colour. Ours was very dark as to fur.

How about the Bank Vole
http://images.google.co.uk/images?gb...bank+vole%22&s
tart=42&sa=N

We have them in our garden and one regularly would pop out of the
shrubbery to feed on seed spilt underneath the bird feeders.

I think you've cracked it! Thanks so much for that. I'll show that site to
The Grand Daughter today. Very clever of you.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 11:01, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:53:27 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 22/8/08 10:38, in article , "robert"
wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 21/8/08 23:18, in article , "Bob
Hobden"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
Looking out of the kitchen window today the children saw a tiny mouse
climbing, sitting for at least ten minutes in and then disappearing from,
some ivy and jasmine climbing that wall. When they called me to see it,
I
thought they were going to show me an 'ordinary' mouse but this was tiny
with a very dark brown back and - given I had only a quick glimpse of it
moving - what I thought were quite large ears. The location it was in is
right up against the kitchen chimney wall where the Aga gives out some
warmth and where sparrows roost in various plants, too. There is plenty
of
cover there and birdseed too, from time to time. If anyone can suggest
what this little thing is or point me at some pics, I'd love to show them
to
the children. TIA.


Just a long shot.. could this be your Mouse?

http://images.google.com/images?q=Ha...ie7&rls=com.mi
crosoft
:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1 &ct=title

Size looks right but not colour. Ours was very dark as to fur.

How about the Bank Vole
http://images.google.co.uk/images?gb...bank+vole%22&s
tart=42&sa=N

We have them in our garden and one regularly would pop out of the
shrubbery to feed on seed spilt underneath the bird feeders.

I think you've cracked it! Thanks so much for that. I'll show that site to
The Grand Daughter today. Very clever of you.

Did you get the colouring wrong?
http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/for...TML/index1.htm

I don't think so. I said it was dark on the back and to me that's how the
Bank vole looks in those pics! I don't remember seeing reddish brown,
though. It seems about right for size and 'shape', too so maybe it's some
other kind of vole? OTOH we do have several banks in various areas of the
garden! I'll keep an eye open for it and see if it comes to the same spot
again.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

In article ,
K writes:
|
| You would have remarked upon the pointed nose of the shrew. Voles do not
| have prominent ears. Harvest mice are tiny but distinctly orange, like a
| miniature red squirrel. Gerbil? (Our cats brought us one once - no one
| claimed it so we kept it for years - can't remember how big they are
| though). Juvenile of almost anything? - young mice have big ears,
| because the ears don't grow as much during their lifetime as other bits
| of them.

A gerbil is unlikely to climb.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 11:18, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
K writes:
|
| You would have remarked upon the pointed nose of the shrew. Voles do not
| have prominent ears. Harvest mice are tiny but distinctly orange, like a
| miniature red squirrel. Gerbil? (Our cats brought us one once - no one
| claimed it so we kept it for years - can't remember how big they are
| though). Juvenile of almost anything? - young mice have big ears,
| because the ears don't grow as much during their lifetime as other bits
| of them.

A gerbil is unlikely to climb.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I don't think it was that.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| I don't think so. I said it was dark on the back and to me that's how the
| Bank vole looks in those pics! I don't remember seeing reddish brown,
| though. It seems about right for size and 'shape', too so maybe it's some
| other kind of vole? OTOH we do have several banks in various areas of the
| garden! I'll keep an eye open for it and see if it comes to the same spot
| again.

Nope. The only likely British vole is the bank vole - the others are
unlikely to climb, too large, or both. And, despite the name, bank
voles don't particularly favour banks. But they are very common.

They can be told from mice by being blunter faced, with shorter tails
and smaller ears, and slightly stockier in appearance.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 11:22, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:17:20 +0100, Sacha wrote:

snip
I don't think so. I said it was dark on the back and to me that's how the
Bank vole looks in those pics! I don't remember seeing reddish brown,
though. It seems about right for size and 'shape', too so maybe it's some
other kind of vole? OTOH we do have several banks in various areas of the
garden! I'll keep an eye open for it and see if it comes to the same spot
again.

We are expecting photos next time.

Oh sure, I'll get the grand daughter to sit by the window for the rest of
the day......... ;-))

We still haven't managed to photograph the magpie that sneaks in through the
open kitchen door and eats the our cat's food. We think it might use the cat
flap too.

They're very clever birds, so it wouldn't surprise me a bit. Was it a sea
gull that we read about last year that used to walk into a shop and help
itself to its favourite crisps off a shelf?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 11:23, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| I don't think so. I said it was dark on the back and to me that's how the
| Bank vole looks in those pics! I don't remember seeing reddish brown,
| though. It seems about right for size and 'shape', too so maybe it's some
| other kind of vole? OTOH we do have several banks in various areas of the
| garden! I'll keep an eye open for it and see if it comes to the same spot
| again.

Nope. The only likely British vole is the bank vole - the others are
unlikely to climb, too large, or both. And, despite the name, bank
voles don't particularly favour banks. But they are very common.

They can be told from mice by being blunter faced, with shorter tails
and smaller ears, and slightly stockier in appearance.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I really think that must be it. Thanks everyone.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

Sacha writes
On 22/8/08 11:23, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:

They can be told from mice by
......
smaller ears,
......

I really think that must be it. Thanks everyone.

But I thought you originally said it had *big* ears? Or am I imagining
that?
--
Kay

Very small rodent ID
 

--

"K" wrote in message
...
Sacha writes
On 22/8/08 11:23, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:

They can be told from mice by
.....
smaller ears,
.....

I really think that must be it. Thanks everyone.

But I thought you originally said it had *big* ears? Or am I imagining
that?
--
Kay


Which makes it a young House Mouse :-)

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 15:26, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 22/8/08 11:23, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:

They can be told from mice by
.....
smaller ears,
.....

I really think that must be it. Thanks everyone.

But I thought you originally said it had *big* ears? Or am I imagining
that?

I did but is that relative to its overall size as I remember it. Most of the
time it sat with its back towards us, looking almost as if it was asleep.
In fact, for an awful moment I thought it was dead and we'd have broken
hearted little girls on our hands. Then it looked round quickly and scooted
off. I wish the dratted thing would come back or that I saw a mouse to do a
comparison. I still don't think it's a mouse. If it would turn up right
now it would be convenient because the pest control man is here! I haven't
shown Ray that web site yet so I'll see what he thinks but I do know he
didn't think it was an ordinary house mouse.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 22/8/08 15:26, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 22/8/08 11:23, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:

They can be told from mice by
.....
smaller ears,
.....

I really think that must be it. Thanks everyone.

But I thought you originally said it had *big* ears? Or am I imagining
that?

I did but is that relative to its overall size as I remember it. Most of
the
time it sat with its back towards us, looking almost as if it was asleep.
In fact, for an awful moment I thought it was dead and we'd have broken
hearted little girls on our hands. Then it looked round quickly and
scooted
off. I wish the dratted thing would come back or that I saw a mouse to do
a
comparison. I still don't think it's a mouse. If it would turn up right
now it would be convenient because the pest control man is here! I
haven't
shown Ray that web site yet so I'll see what he thinks but I do know he
didn't think it was an ordinary house mouse.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon



Delighted you have the Pest Control Man in as we thought too that it was a
cute little thing until we identified it :-(( Then it got into the house
:-(( Took a devil of an effort to get rid of it.

Had to stop feeding the birds for quite some time as it was, as you say,
attracted by the fallen bird seed

Mike

Very small rodent ID
 

In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| It was a seagull that dropped a battered flat fish onto my parked car windscreen
| in Whitstable. Do they cook fish in super glue in Whitstable?

The traditional superglue WAS made from fish!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 16:39, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:56:42 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip

We still haven't managed to photograph the magpie that sneaks in through the
open kitchen door and eats the our cat's food. We think it might use the cat
flap too.

They're very clever birds, so it wouldn't surprise me a bit.

They recognise themselves in a mirror.

That's more than I do these days. ;-)

Was it a sea
gull that we read about last year that used to walk into a shop and help
itself to its favourite crisps off a shelf?

It was a seagull that dropped a battered flat fish onto my parked car
windscreen
in Whitstable. Do they cook fish in super glue in Whitstable?

I suppose you could be thankful it wasn't an oyster still in its shell!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Very small rodent ID
 

On 22/8/08 16:57, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:50:22 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip

It was a seagull that dropped a battered flat fish onto my parked car
windscreen
in Whitstable. Do they cook fish in super glue in Whitstable?

I suppose you could be thankful it wasn't an oyster still in its shell!

or a giant clam.

Must be big seagulls in Whitstable..........

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon