First Walrus in NE Scotland since one at Collieston in 1954.

Contrasting effects of mixed farming on bats are mediated by local and landscape features and differ between seasons - Biodiversity and Conservation Homogenisation of agricultural landscapes, driven by intensive farming, is one of the key drivers of biodiversity decline in Europe. Whilst government schemes to address this have benefitted some inve...

New paper from @bats-n-bugs.bsky.social's PhD.

Sampling an impressive 26 farms in east Scotland, Rochelle found a complex picture with bats responding more to habitat and landscape features than to farming type per se.

Open access: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

@batconservation.bsky.social

Mammal Atlas of North-East Scotland and the Cairngorms Mammal Atlas of North-East Scotland and the Cairngorms,NESBReC,mammal species,

The Mammal Atlas of North East Scotland and the Cairngorms provides the definitive account of our region's mammal fauna upto 2015. Hopefully you have a hard copy but, if not, we are delighted that it is now available as a FREE PDF download from the NESBReC website: nesbrec.org.uk/mammal-atlas...

Nick Littlewood receiving the Mammal Society’s Richard Shore Prize from Mammal Society President, Penny Lewns.

Congratulations @nesmammals.bsky.social’s Nick Littlewood on being awarded the Mammal Society’s Richard Shore prize which celebrates individuals who have demonstrated remarkable commitment to protecting Britain's mammals.
@blackdogbirder.bsky.social

Some committee members at the NESMAMNET table.

Martha, the knitted Pine Marten, eyeing up a (stuffed) Red Squirrel. Both on a windowsill with bushes in the background.

We've been enjoying the fantastic @mammalsociety.bsky.social annual conference in Inverness. And we're keeping a close eye on Martha, who has taken a keen interest in a local squirrel 😱.

Just outside the window, eating peanuts like there's no tomorrow.

@nesmammals.bsky.social @scotsquirrels.bsky.social

Still time to book for Wednesday evening's webinar....

First Daubenton's #Bat in the garden in Aberdeen this year on 10 March.

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

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

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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).

🐬🐬🐬