Staffordshire Mammal Group
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Staffordshire Mammal Group
@staffsmammalgroup.bsky.social
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A small group of volunteers dedicated to observing and studying Staffordshire’s Mammals
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The annual SMG Christmas get together went very well today. Excellent company and great food plus exceptionally good weather for December! Plus we were celebrating 25 years of the group, here’s to the next 25 years!
A group of people, some in Christmas gear sitting around a pub table The SMG gathering in the pub Carpark for pre lunch drinks Mrs Santa Claus finding a Harvest Mouse nest in long grasses A Brown Hare with a Magpie giving it some unwelcome attention in a bright green field of grass
December 14, 2025 at 9:17 PM
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So national Harvest Mouse day was on the 19th. The previous week we had a very successful field outing at Doxey Marsh where upwards of 50 nests were found 😀
Harvest Mouse nest, a woven ball of grasses used by these brilliant animals Harvest Mouse nest, a woven ball of grasses used by these brilliant animals
October 21, 2025 at 6:01 AM
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A good morning on today’s field trip despite the heat 2 Red Deer seen plus signs of 8 other mammal species add to that 11 species of Butterfly including Brown Argus and Purple Hairstreak, 5 species of Dragonfly and 3 species of Damselfly
Adult Red Deer standing in a golden wheat field Fawn Red Deer standing in a golden wheat field with only its head and neck showing Brown Argus a brown butterfly with an orange border to the edge of both wings Purple Hairstreak a grey butterfly with a white streak running through both wings and small orange eyes in the corner of the hind wing
July 13, 2025 at 5:05 PM
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Some excellent mammal encounters last weekend in North Staffs, a striking Red Fox and a very peaceful moment with a riverside Roe Deer
A Red Fox in side profile standing amongst scrubby grassland. Clearly showing it’s bushy tail and white chin and throat A Roe Deer bending forwards towards a river with a pebbly margin surrounded by luxuriant green foliage A Roe Deer looking alert and standing by a river with a pebbly margin surrounded by luxuriant green foliage
July 5, 2025 at 10:35 AM
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A fawn Red Deer was an exciting encounter last weekend in North Staffs, it is not often that a fawn this young is seen. Excuse the poor photo it was understandably quite skittish
A fawn red deer standing partially hidden amongst twigs and leaves in an English woodland, it’s spotted sides and tan coloured rump can be seen
June 22, 2025 at 11:22 AM
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Good to see so many signs of Eurasian Beaver on a recent group meeting, some old and some more recent 🙂
Eurasian Beaver feeding signs, the chewed ends of branches clearly showing the tooth marks Eurasian Beaver feeding signs, the chewed ends of branches clearly showing the tooth marks Some of the group mid search, 5 members of the group looking and smiling to the camera surrounded by riverside trees
June 18, 2025 at 11:55 AM
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This magnificent stag Red Deer was out with the lads last night near Dilhorne, NE Staffs
A large brown deer standing in a grassy meadow and facing the camera, it’s large antlers are still covered in velvet giving them a silvery appearance 3 large deer all stags standing in a field with a backdrop of trees
June 15, 2025 at 11:59 AM
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A pleasant evening around Brindley Heath with the group yesterday. 2 Fallow Deer, 2 Foxes and plenty of Rabbits and bats seen plus Green Woodpecker and Cuckoo for those interested in birds.

🪶#ukbirding
Fallow Deer stag peering through the forest. Its antlers only just starting to grow 2 adult Rabbits greet each other nose to nose in a grassy meadow Green Woodpecker in trees, the red head and pale belly can be seen plus the black moustache
May 29, 2025 at 8:51 PM
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Some excellent Badger action from North Staffordshire recently 🙂
May 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
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Another good day yesterday with the final checks on our small mammal survey of the Wolseley Centre 9 Wood Mice, 13 Bank Vole and 2 Common Shrew were found
One of the younger members showing off a Bank Vole A close up of a Common Shrew, a small brown mammal with a pointed nose
May 12, 2025 at 11:19 AM
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The first session of our Small Mammal survey at Wolseley SWT went well this morning with plenty of Wood Mice and Bank Voles plus 1 Common Shrew. Hopefully more to come this evening at 9
Adult Common Shrew a small brown mammal with a pointed nose 3 Bank Voles viewed from above showing their warm brown backs well Adult Wood Mouse scruffed for a better view Some of the group with a Bank Vole in a fish tank at the front
May 10, 2025 at 3:08 PM
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A bit late for #BatAppreciationDay but an excellent evening spent watching 3 Noctule and countless Pipistrelles yesterday at Biddulph County Park.
A small image of a large bat silhouetted as it flies against a dark blue sky A large bat flying with a grey sky as background
April 21, 2025 at 10:03 AM
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Love an urban badger🥰
April 19, 2025 at 9:46 AM
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Our Waterway Survey went well last Sunday with 2 good sections of the Trent surveyed but worryingly plenty of signs of invasive species as shown in the photos below 🙁

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American Mink den in a pipe sticking out of the river bank, the scats are clearly visible at the entrance and further into the pipe Female invasive Signal Crayfish carrying lots of eggs under her tail A nice shot of the bank of the river Trent showing overhanging tree roots On a more positive note Otter spraint on a riverside rock
April 16, 2025 at 7:41 PM
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A couple of stag Red Deer in the Coombes Valley from yesterday
2 stag red deer face each other in a sunlit meadow The stag Red Deer with the larger antlers against a brightly lit grassy background
April 6, 2025 at 10:19 AM
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Lovely day in the Staffordshire Moorlands today on our 3rd group outing of the year with 5 Roe Deer and 4 Brown Hare seen plus lots of sunshine and excellent to see plenty of breeding birds such as Curlew, Lapwing and Stomechats
A Brown Hare just about to cross a broken down stonewall, showing the black and white ears and tail of the animal Roe Deer in tall grasses and wintery trees A male Stonechat perched in an open bush, showing the orange chest and black head The group searching for mammals in the Staffordshire Moorlands
March 9, 2025 at 5:01 PM
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Very pleasant afternoon in the Staffordshire Moorlands yesterday. c.50 Red Deer, 2 Brown Hare and numerous Rabbits plus some spectacular views
Part of a herd of 42 Red Deer chilling in an upland meadow Small group of Red Deer cresting a hillside at dusk Excellent sunset with pink and violet hues
March 2, 2025 at 11:02 AM
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Productive day at Cop Mere for our field trip with 12 species recorded. With signs of Otter, Badger, Roe Deer, Fallow Deer, Bank Vole, Field Vole, Fox, Squirrel, Hare, Mole, Rabbit and Rat. Singles of Brown Hare, Bank Vole and Squirrel seen
The group on patrol Otter spraint including fish bones on the outflow from Cop Mere Fallow Deer slots in mud Field Vole latrine
February 9, 2025 at 6:16 PM
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A nice Fox yesterday near to Jackson’s Bank plus 2 Muntjac, 3 Fallow Deer and 2 Brown Hare in the area. An impressive herd of 41 Fallow Deer near Hanchurch today including some varied colour forms
A Red Fox turns to look over its left shoulder with a backdrop of a bramble hedgerow A Red Fox trotting through a stubble field Another section of the Fallow Deer flock including 3 white individuals 6 Fallow Deer standing in a field. 2 of which are white, 3 dark and 1 ginger
January 26, 2025 at 9:08 PM
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As well as finding a Mountain Hare in the Derbyshire High Peak we found plenty of feeding signs and tracks in the snow
January 12, 2025 at 6:52 PM
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A rare out of county away day to the high peak in Derbyshire for the first Staffordshire Mammal Group event of 2025. Some success despite the challenging conditions with 1 Mountain Hare found.
January 12, 2025 at 5:43 PM
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A Red Fox was seen yesterday peaking through Brambles during a walk in rural Staffordshire. A happy start to the new year!
A Red Fox peaks through a tangled mass of Brambles
January 2, 2025 at 10:42 PM
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A pleasant day in the impressively rugged but increasingly popular Staffordshire Moors on the 29th, 3 herds of Red Deer (18, 8 & 5) plus 3 Brown Hare found.
5 Red Deer on a lightly wooded moorland hillside 4 Red Deer, part of a larger group of 18 on a distant hillside A view over fields and Moorland with a scattering of bare trees A Brown Hare crouching amongst Mole hills
December 31, 2024 at 10:15 AM
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Plenty of mammal tacks and signs in the Alrewas area of Staffordshire on a post Christmas walk including what could be our last Harvest Mouse nest of the season
Harvest mouse nest made with woven grasses found in tall grasses on a floodplain Badger footprint found in soft mud Muntjac slots in soft mud Otter footprints found in soft mud
December 29, 2024 at 10:42 AM
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Good numbers of Brown Hare in the Waterhouses area of East Staffordshire on a recent walk, seven seen in total during the day.
December 22, 2024 at 5:51 PM