February marks the arrival of new life in the mammalian world. Join us on February 19th to explore the first births of the year, from lambs frolicking in fields to rabbit kits emerging from their burrows. Discover the behaviours of hares, the hibernation patterns of hedgehogs and bats, and the survival challenges faced by voles, mice, and shrews. Learn about the feeding habits of deer and the intriguing activities of foxes during this time. Don't miss this captivating look at the early signs of spring in the animal kingdom. Mark your calendars and prepare to welcome the season's first mammalian young!
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Mammals
The first births of mammalian young occur this month. The favourites are the first lambs to be seen in fields. Below ground, rabbits will have had their litters. Within two weeks, and often by the end of the month, the kits may even be seen on the surface. Hares are always on the surface. They often lie at this time of year facing south into the wind to keep as warm as possible. Hedgehogs and bats are still hibernating, but do make brief appearances on warm days. Among mice only the dormouse is still sleeping deeply. Voles, wood mice and shrews are all hungry and their numbers are dropping as other creatures such as weasels have found their winter quarters and may well have eaten them as they slept. Shrews, with their perennial need for sustenance, can sometimes be found lying on the grass, having starved to death.
As the grass dies down over winter, the entrances to the nests of field voles become more noticeable. Some of these tunnels also belong to shrews, although the latter are happier in hedgerows and hedge banks. At the edges of streams the grazed areas around the entrance holes of water voles indicate they are also active. In cold spells they rely on the plant stems they collected last autumn and kept as larders within their burrows. In the worst weather hedge bottoms become temporary refuges for a variety of animals such as hares, pheasants and snipe. All of these are occasionally ‘put up’ or flushed as we walk past.
Deer
Most female deer are still feeding separately from the males and still have their thicker, duller winter coats. This is now the lean end of winter and many of them are lean themselves having only moss, ivy, brambles and young grass shoots to feed upon. They are even known to eat yew leaves when pressed. Red deer stags may now be two stone lighter than they were before the rut although life in London is a little easier with the grass usually starting to grow again. Roe deer are still rarely seen as they are so shy and nocturnal. There is a slightly better chance of spotting them this month as hunger draws them out to fields and into places they would not ordinarily feed. Shy escapees, such as Sika, Muntjac and Chinese water deer are reported from time to time around the outskirts of London. Young roebucks produce small spikes which they shed this month before their main antlers grow. You are unlikely to see these or any other discarded antlers although you may well see tree stems that have been peeled away, hoof prints and a browse line, all of which indicate deer have been recently feeding. The height of the browse line can indicate the size and therefore the species of deer involved.
Foxes
Vixens are still making their blood-curdling calls at night and both adults are looking bigger and glossier. Their grey under-fur is at its thickest now and the long guard hairs produce the characteristic rich red colour. Foxes scent their territory by rubbing their tail and anal area on any available marker for up to twenty seconds. The scent glands are located above and below the base of the tail. It is recorded that they can charm their prey by rolling and playing, apparently unconcerned by any inquisitive animal watching. However, once the animal draws near enough, they change their behaviour suddenly and pounce upon them. Equally surprising is that at this time of year they could also be sharing a sett with a family of badgers quite peaceably although vixens will be looking for suitable places to dig their own earths.
