Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group (BWCG)
I was delighted when Yvette Austin, the environment correspondent for BBC Southeast, asked me if she could film the monthly Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group dormouse box check.
So how did this come about? I’m the chair of Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group (BWCG) and my passion is sharing the rare habitats and wildlife we have on our Local Nature Reserve (LNR), Benfield Hill, with everyone I meet. The reserve, the first one established in Hove, is partly designated for its pristine chalk grassland; but we’re also proud that our scrub woodland is home to a healthy population of hazel dormice.
Celebrating a milestone with the BBC
This year we celebrated the reserve’s 30th birthday and, as part of our celebrations, we contacted the BBC to see if they were interested in learning more about our dormice. I was so pleased when they said yes.
I joined the group in 2014 and, after I got my dormouse handling licence in 2018, put nest boxes up at the site. We found dormice in 2019. The BBC asked to film in August but we hadn’t found any dormice in August during the last two years. So I really hoped this year would be different.
Photo of Sally at Benfield Hill
Our dormouse numbers have been great so far this year, with two litters of pinks in May and two litters of young greys eyes open in June – possibly the same dormice. We found a further two litters (about four-week-olds) in July, which means we’ve had at least four litters born in our woodland this year.
Camera-shy hazel dormice
The biggest challenge in the wood is the terrain; much of it is on steep slopes. So, when Yvette and her cameraman, Tim, arrived, we discussed the filming: “Act natural, ignore the camera, do what you normally do”. Easier said than done. I decided we’d start in the flat section which would be easier for everyone. We’d found a family of young dormice in one of these more accessible boxes in July, so I was hopeful they’d still be using it. No chance! Well, they are wild animals. After several more empty boxes, I worried we wouldn’t find any dormice.
So I took everyone back to the steep section, covered in dense scrub, with no room to swing a cat (not that I would entertain such an idea), let alone space for a dormouse monitor, an assistant, a presenter and a cameraman jostling for position and good angles.
As we approached the box Tim, our cameraman, said ‘one’s just come out of the box and run up the tree’. I quickly put the dormouse bung in the hole, hoping another animal was still inside and, sure enough, we found a feisty young male, weighing in at a healthy 16g. I held him up gently in the weighing bag and Tim got a good shot of him. Once he was safely back in the box, I was interviewed about the site and the woodland management we’ve carried out to improve the habitat.
Record-breaking local box check
Of course, after the camera crew left, I found another family group: a mother with two young, weighing 9 and 10 grams respectively. It was a record breaking five animals for the August box check. The lesson of this story is never do your monitoring backwards! I enjoyed the filming experience, although it was a bit nerve wracking. I really don’t like being watched when I’m monitoring dormice and would prefer to be quiet and calm. However, it was good publicity of our precious charges and for the conservation work we do for this remarkable endangered species.
Written by Sally Wadsworth, Chair of Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Trust and Dormouse monitor.