Fox in the grass at Woodberry Wetlands credit Penny Dixie
Mammals at Walthamstow Wetlands
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in late evening light credit Danny Green/2020VISION
Red Fox
A common and familiar animal, the Red Fox is our only wild member of the dog family. Foxes are omnivorous, feeding on small mammals, birds, frogs, earthworms and carrion, as well as berries and fruit. Just as likely to be seen in towns and cities as in the countryside, Foxes are now well-known for scavenging food scraps from bins, as well as catching Pigeons and Rats. Males bark but females make a spine-chilling scream, heard mostly in the winter when their courtship takes place.
Wood mouse at Walthamstow Wetlands credit Ian Phillips
Wood Mouse
The Wood Mouse is sometimes known as the Long-tailed Field Mouse and is widespread, probably most common in woodland, rough grassland and gardens. It will gather food stores of berries and seeds in the autumn, which it keeps in underground burrows or sometimes in old birds' nests. The Wood Mouse is mostly nocturnal.
Water vole
Bank Vole
The Bank Vole lives in woodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens. Bank Voles eat fruit, nuts and small insects, but are particularly keen on hazelnuts and blackberries. They are very active animals and are frequently seen, sometimes even visiting bird tables. Bank Voles can have three or four litters a year, each with up to seven young.
Nathusius bat
Bats
Species such as pipistrelles and Daubenton’s bat take advantage of plentiful insects during the summer months and may be seen feeding over the reedbeds at dusk.
