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.

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

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
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.

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



House Mouse

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

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.

Probably a juvenile. (Mouse!)

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

On 21/8/08 21:20, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:55:48 +0100, 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.

http://www.itsnature.org/wp-content/...8/03/bilby.jpg

or
http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/ches...wood_mouse.jpg

This is a possible. The others are.........not!

or
http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/ches...ater_shrew.jpg

or

http://asapblogs.typepad.com/news/im...smickey_58.jpg


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

In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| This is a possible. The others are.........not!

Indeed. But "wood mouse" is a synonym for "field mouse", which are
the bigger ones (though marginally smaller than the yellow necked
one). You are almost certainly correct that it was a house mouse,
unless we have a new species in the UK!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 21/8/08 21:52, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| This is a possible. The others are.........not!

Indeed. But "wood mouse" is a synonym for "field mouse", which are
the bigger ones (though marginally smaller than the yellow necked
one). You are almost certainly correct that it was a house mouse,
unless we have a new species in the UK!


Neither of us who saw it - adults, that is - think it's a house mouse! Its
back was very dark and paled only very slightly on the flanks. Ray suggests
it might have been some kind of shrew but it was smaller than a house mouse.


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

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:55:48 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in article ):

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.



Dormouse?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Dormouse_on_hand.jpg

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through the usenet newsgroup uk.rec.gardening

On 21/8/08 22:14, in article
, "Sally Thompson"
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:55:48 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in article ):

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.



Dormouse?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Dormouse_on_hand.jpg

I hoped it would be, Sally but R and I think the tail was wrong - admittedly
we saw little of the tail because when it moved it was like greased
lightning! What was so charming about this whole thing was that the girls
(aged 7) spotted the little creature first, 3 inches away from them on the
other side of the window. They were just so excited by the proximity and
the fact they had seen it first, along with a spider and a squashed snail -
talk about nature red in tooth and claw...... In that very corner we had a
blackbird nesting about 5 years or so ago. The growth of ivy and jasmine
was thicker then and she must have felt very safe and quite warm. We put up
notices warning anyone visiting the house not to open the window by her nest
and she never seemed to be upset or worried by humans peering at her and her
young through the closed window. In such circumstances I'll go for a
submarine type kitchen and nesting blackbirds over my personal preference
for lots of lights and sun!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Neither of us who saw it - adults, that is - think it's a house mouse! Its
| back was very dark and paled only very slightly on the flanks. Ray suggests
| it might have been some kind of shrew but it was smaller than a house mouse.

House mice vary considerably in colour. What was its tail like,
because that is the easiest way of distinguishing many of those
"mouse like" animals?

The only two British ones significantly smaller than the house mouse
are the pigmy shrew (common) and harvest mouse (rare and wrong colour),
but it could have been a young animal.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"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...m=1 &ct=title


--
Regards
Bob Hobden

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...om.micros oft
: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.

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

On 21/8/08 23:18, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Neither of us who saw it - adults, that is - think it's a house mouse! Its
| back was very dark and paled only very slightly on the flanks. Ray
suggests
| it might have been some kind of shrew but it was smaller than a house
mouse.

House mice vary considerably in colour. What was its tail like,
because that is the easiest way of distinguishing many of those
"mouse like" animals?

I barely saw the tail because when it went it went fast. The nose was not
that of a shrew, looking at a photos of those. Its back was rounded and
the separation between torso and head was very clear. The fur was very
dark, lightening just a bit down towards the belly but only a very little.

The only two British ones significantly smaller than the house mouse
are the pigmy shrew (common) and harvest mouse (rare and wrong colour),
but it could have been a young animal.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It was curious in that it sat almost motionless in the creepers for several
minutes, shivering from time to time so yes, it did cross my mind that it
might be a young something. Whatever it was, it was lovely for us and
especially for the girl to see it so closely. Our grand daughter is already
becoming aware of birds swooping past her face and the noise and movement of
wildlife around us here. It's an extraordinarily valuable part of growing
up, IMO.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 21/8/08 23:48, in article ,
"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote:

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:55:48 +0100, 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.

It would probably be a harvest mouse. They are tiny, have large ears
and vary in colour, including dark brown.

Steve


Very probable, I think. I've found one dark coated pic on Google but the
rest of those pages won't load. It was certainly not the honey coloured
coat type.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 21/8/08 23:18, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Neither of us who saw it - adults, that is - think it's a house mouse!
Its
| back was very dark and paled only very slightly on the flanks. Ray
suggests
| it might have been some kind of shrew but it was smaller than a house
mouse.

House mice vary considerably in colour. What was its tail like,
because that is the easiest way of distinguishing many of those
"mouse like" animals?

I barely saw the tail because when it went it went fast. The nose was not
that of a shrew, looking at a photos of those. Its back was rounded and
the separation between torso and head was very clear. The fur was very
dark, lightening just a bit down towards the belly but only a very little.

The only two British ones significantly smaller than the house mouse
are the pigmy shrew (common) and harvest mouse (rare and wrong colour),
but it could have been a young animal.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It was curious in that it sat almost motionless in the creepers for
several
minutes, shivering from time to time so yes, it did cross my mind that it
might be a young something. Whatever it was, it was lovely for us and
especially for the girl to see it so closely. Our grand daughter is
already
becoming aware of birds swooping past her face and the noise and movement
of
wildlife around us here. It's an extraordinarily valuable part of growing
up, IMO.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon



Young House Mouse attracted by the fallen bird seed because we have had
exactly the same problem.

Sacha writes
On 21/8/08 21:52, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| This is a possible. The others are.........not!

Indeed. But "wood mouse" is a synonym for "field mouse", which are
the bigger ones (though marginally smaller than the yellow necked
one). You are almost certainly correct that it was a house mouse,
unless we have a new species in the UK!


Neither of us who saw it - adults, that is - think it's a house mouse! Its
back was very dark and paled only very slightly on the flanks. Ray suggests
it might have been some kind of shrew but it was smaller than a house mouse.

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.


--
Kay