North East Scotland Mammal Network

Stacey Esson: The work of British Divers Marine Life Rescue Stacey Esson joins the North East Scotland Mammal Network to discuss the work of the marine rescue charity.

Stacey Esson, medic and local co-ordinator with British Divers Marine Life Rescue, will present our final online talk of the season. Join us to hear all about the work of BDMLR, including #seal rescue, and the Large #Whale Disentanglement Team

Info and booking www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stacey-ess...

Our first field meet up of the year will take place at Bennachie on Saturday 11th April, where we will look for signs of Mounatin Hare, and maybe even spot one! Meeting details to follow, but save the date if you'd like to come along.

Mammals in February Late winter is often a time for snow, which means that snow is a sign of spring. It refills rivers and inspires a range of sports. But now, as food grows scarcer, many mammals are facing harsh and …

Check out Annie Lamb's latest monthly blog over on our website - find out what Pine Martens, Badgers, hares and more are up to at this time of the year: nesmamnet.org/2026/02/28/m...

Front cover of North-East Scotland Bird Report 2024, with a photo of a drake Bufflehead

The report opens at the start page of the 2024 NE Scotland mammal report, showing title details and start of introduction.

Just out: 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩-𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 2024. Includes 20-page mammal report based on 8000 records submitted by an incredible 1000 observers in 2024.

The mammal report will also be online in due course, but the full report is a bargain at £8.50 including p&p - so highly recommended.

#mammal

Field #Mouse doing what mice do.

@nesmammals.bsky.social

There is some info on the method used here (also links to the published paper which gives box dimensions etc): mammal.org.uk/blog/2021/01.... For actual camera trap model with this method, best are those with the camera lens just above the sensor.

Twenty-six species and counting – recording mammals at Red Moss of Netherley When we took on the volunteer convenor role for the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at Red Moss of Netherley, in 2010, the site’s mammal list stood at three species; Fox, Badger and Roe Deer. Over …

Let me count the ways to record thee…Find out how long term recording takes a mammal site list from three to 26 in our latest blog.

nesmamnet.org/2026/02/20/t...

@scotwildlife.bsky.social

A Hedgehog taken with flash, up against a concrete-type wall.

Why are rural Hedgehogs in such decline and what can be done about it?

Join our webinar, on Wednesday 25 February, when Morag Boyd of People's Trust for Endangered Species will be telling us about the 𝘙𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵.

Booking: www.eventbrite.com/e/rural-hedg...

📷 Silviu Petrovan

Folks sometimes struggle to tell Bank Voles and Field Voles apart. Both are abundant and overlap substantially in habitat use. But no mistaking on this great clear footage, with bonus Wood Mouse too.

#smallmammal

It's World Wetlands Day, so what more excuse do we need to post one of our favourite videos, a Water Shrew in Aberdeenshire, feeding in a #SmallMammal #CameraTrap box?

#WorldWetlandsDay2026
#mammal

A Red Squirrel sitting upright on woodland floor and facing towards camera.

The temperature may be low and the days short, but there's still plenty of mammaly activity going on. Check out our latest blog, to read about what some of them are up to at this time of year:

nesmamnet.org/2026/01/27/m...

Last chance to sign up for Wednesday evening's webinar...

Four Bottlenose Dolphins moving left to right - mostly just dorsal fins and parts of the back visible. Photo taken at dusk so grey lighting.

Have you submitted mammal records for 2025 yet? There's a range of ways to do so and a section on our website all about this: nesmamnet.org/recording-ma...

A poster advertising the National Polecat Survey webinar.

What is the status of the Polecat in Scotland? Find out when Katherine McBride, of @vincentwt.bsky.social, joins us for our next webinar, on Wednesday 28 January, to discuss the National Polecat Survey.

Booking: www.eventbrite.com/e/national-p...

A bit soggy, but the squirrels are back now the snow is going.
@scotsquirrels.bsky.social @nesmammals.bsky.social

How AI is helping to study tourist impact on seals Processing drone data can take hours, but an AI tool is doing the job within a matter a seconds.

Great write up about research into using drones and AI to monitor the Ythan estuary's Grey Seals: share.google/zqtelHoD6GiG...

@srucnews.bsky.social

🦭🦭🦭

Turned colder last night - though only just on freezing & calm with a bit of snow. Wow! Let's party! 110 Soprano Pipistrelle clips, 38 Commons and 1 Nathusius' on night of 1-2 Jan in Aberdeen.
Happy New Year everyone!

@nesmammals.bsky.social @batconservation.bsky.social

Most of us just target bat recording during the warmer months - but year-round monitoring at this Aberdeen site shows year-round activity.

Mammals in December Frost and snow aren’t as common with us as they used to be. But the mammals’ adaptations to winter remain, and will protect them in case of a prolonged frost. Besides, up on the Cairngorms plateau …

Head over to our website for the lastest installment in Annie Lamb's month-to-month account of what our mammals are up to.

nesmamnet.org/2025/12/31/m...

Brilliant results from an hour's search by our friends in Staffordshire.

Still time to get out looking for nests in NE Scotland (though might also need a shovel to dig away the snow if trying in the next few days).

Have you seen a Polecat? Then send the record to the National Polecat Survey run by @vincentwt.bsky.social.

And we're delighted that VWT's Carnivore Conservation Office and survey coordinator, Katherine McBride, will be our next webinar speaker, on 28 January. Watch this space for details.

A Bottlenose Dolphin leaping clear of water, heading right to left.

Some Christmas TV viewing, featuring long-term research by University of Aberdeen on the Moray Firth Bottlenose Dolphins:
www.facebook.com/share/1DEw9Y... (link opens as a Facebook post).

🐬🐬🐬

First year of Wildcat reintroduction project hailed a success NatureScot-backed research confirms that breeding and release has delivered high survival and early breeding success for Scotland’s Wildcats

First year of Wildcat reintroduction project hailed a success

NatureScot-backed research confirms that breeding and release has delivered high survival and early breeding success for Scotland’s Wildcats www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/F...

Still getting Nathusius' Pipistrelle #bats in the garden - the latest ever here in NE Scotland. Several last night.
@nesmammals.bsky.social @batconservation.bsky.social

One week remaining. Applications need to include two references, so don't leave it too late to apply for this @srucnews.bsky.social CASE partnership with @ptes-org.bsky.social.

Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Fantastic that the Red Squirrels are doing so well around Aberdeen.

It was a bumper autumn for Nathusius' Pipistrelle in NE Scotland (and beyond). Read @batconservation.bsky.social's post to learn about some even found out in the North Sea.

How 'citizen scientists' helped red squirrels return to Aberdeen Red squirrels have returned to Aberdeen city centre, reversing a retreat north dating back to the 1970s.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This fascinating short article is highly recommended for anyone interested in marine mammals, zooarchaeology, history, folklore, Orkney and the links between humans, seals and the sea.

@mammalsociety.bsky.social
@coastalpaleo.bsky.social
@nesmammals.bsky.social
@marinemammalogy.bsky.social

Four people in a grassy area near trees. One is crouching and clearly examining something held on his hands with the others all looking down at same item.

Read the latest story on our website, as Mike Raby recounts our wonderful training day, recently, learning about mammal tracks and signs.
nesmamnet.org/2025/11/26/t...