A red flag appeared on my screen when I recorded Thursday’s sighting of this small mouse-like creature and, later, I got an email notification through the iRecord system that these mammals are ‘Difficult to identify in most conditions. Close inspection is necessary, for example in a trap. Records from beginners will need verification but records will be accepted from experienced recorders‘. So, I may well be wrong in calling this a Bank vole (if/when my record is checked, I’ll edit this post to correct or confirm it.)

The little one had climbed about half a metre up a scraggy Spindle tree and appeared to be harvesting seeds. My sighting was a very brief one: I happened to be standing on a viewpoint at the edge of a lake, looking at birds and chatting to another birder, when I turned and spotted it. We initially thought it might be a Wood/Field mouse but the ears aren’t prominent enough. If you have any experience at identifying small mammals in the UK, I’d welcome your comments.