As one
would perhaps expect for a site as large as Esholt, with its diverse range of
habitats, a wide range of mammals can be found. Foxes breed on the site and can be
seen in summer during the day putting in extra hunting to keep the cubs well
fed.
Roe
Deer are seen usually as singles and often found on or around the old settling
beds. They are very shy, retiring
animals and will bolt for cover at the slightest disturbance. Smaller mammals are evident with mole and shrew
having been found dead on the pathways.
In
summer evenings, various bats are usually found. Whilst no real work has been carried out to identify the bats at
this time, Pipestrelle bats have been seen. A member of BOG has a detector that can be
used to pick up the call of the feeding bats and the ‘signatures’ identified.
Other
than the midges and mosquitoes that one would associate with the type of
habitats encountered at Esholt, there is also a rich diversity of insect
life. All the common butterflies and
moths are found with Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock all regular
and large moths such as Red Underwing also noted.
