The CRT re-discovers the Mighty Midget
The Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT) is delighted to announce that volunteers –the Rustics – have re-discovered Britain’s most attractive and smallest mouse, the Harvest Mouse – Latin name Micromys minutes, CRT name the Mighty Midget – at its Lark Rise Farm in Cambridgeshire.
Britain’s most attractive and smallest mouse, the Harvest Mouse
Dr Vince Lea, head of the CRT’s wildlife monitoring says: “The harvest mouse is a wonderful little animal weighing in at between 4-6 grams (below a quarter of an ounce) – less than the weight of a pound coin. The body is between 50-70mm (about two inches) and the incredible prehensile tail is about the same length again. It has a blunt nose, small ears and beautiful russet fur. It is so good to know that it is still flourishing at Lark Rise Farm”.
Over recent years signs of the Harvest Mouse have been less obvious. When hedge and tree planting were in full swing harvest mouse nests (balls of woven grasses) were found in tree guards. Since the saplings have outgrown the tree guards there have been few signs.
Consequently under Dr Lea’s expert guidance, the CRT mounted a Harvest Mouse safari.
Two transect lines, each 100metres long and divided into 10 metre sections were set up. The two transects were a mile apart. Almost immediately a nest was found and more were found along both transects. In other words this uncommon little mouse is still common over the whole of Lark Rise Farm. Vince Lea says: “This is very good news and a tribute to the excellent farming methods implemented by tenant farmer Tim Scott. With grass margins, beetle banks and permanent pasture it creates a great variety of wildlife-friendly habitats and the harvest mouse is flourishing as a direct result”.
CRT Chairman Robin Page says: “The Harvest Mouse is yet another British Biodiversity Action Plan Species that is thriving at Lark Rise Farm. Some important issues arise from it.
If the CRT can do it why can’t other landowners, farmers and conservation bodies? If the CRT can do it why doesn’t Defra, Natural England and other conservation bodies come and see how it is done? Then of course there is a very interesting question – with the broadcast and print media locked into stories of gloom, doom, why don’t they show the good news that keeps on coming from the CRT, Lark Rise Farm and the real countryside?”
