Notes and Observations 13 Part 3

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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS WATER SHREW (Neomys fodiens). A water shrew was killed by a cat in a garden in Cransford Street, fairly close to a small pond b u t half a mile or so f r o m the nearest stream. MRS. E. A . R I N G E D NOCTULE BAT ( N y c t a l u s noctula)

MONRO.

EATEN BY T A W N Y O W L .

T h e remains of a noctule ringed in Westleton by M r . H . V. Lovett in August, 1961, were found in a tawny owl pellet in the same parish in May, 1965, by Mrs. Houghton. T h e aluminium ring was still around the remains of the bone of the forearm. H . E. AXELL, Minsmere. RE-CAPTURE

OF

RINGED

NOCTULE

BAT.

A

female

noctule,

ringed as an adult and pregnant at Great Glemham, 18th June, 1961, was re-captured lactating at Letheringham, 17th July, 1965, \ \ miles away f r o m where it was ringed. CRANBROOK, G t .

Glemham.

TREE-CLIMBING STOATS (Mustela erminea). Recent reports in this Journal show that the stoat is at times a skilful climber of trees and walls. Some time ago I watched one in a small spinney of thorn trees some 15 to 20 foot high. T h e spinney was fßll of pigeons' nests and the stoat was running about in the branches, examining each nest as it came to it. Presently it f o u n d one which was evidently occupied, for there was a brief flurry of wings and a young, partly-fledged pigeon feil to the ground. T h e stoat at once came r u n n i n g d o w n the trunk of the tree, seized the pigeon, which was trying to walk away, and dragged it struggling into some bushes. After a few minutes the stoat appeared again, ran u p the tree, h u n t e d about r o u n d the now e m p t y (?) nest, then once again descended and disappeared, presumably to eat its victim. W . H . PAYN, Härtest. WEASEL (M. nivalis) AND BLACKBIRDS. O n e day this s u m m e r I heard a great deal of scolding among the small birds in t h e garden but could see nothing to account for their agitation. However, later in the day I heard a perfect crescendo of screams f r o m a pair of blackbirds that had a nest of young in a tall laurel. O n approaching the spot I was in time to see a weasel spring out of t h e nest and dart down into the undergrowth. Investigation showed that he had slain all b u t one of the young blackbirds. As I value m y birds more than weasels, I removed the corpses, pegged t h e m d o w n below the nest and set a trap beside them. But the weasel was too clever for me ; within an hour he had not only removed all the corpses without springing the trap, b u t had climbed back into the nest and carried off the remaining young blackbird

-

W . H . PAYN.


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