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North East Scotland Mammal Network

@nesmammals.bsky.social

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Celebrating North East Scotland's mammals through conservation, recording and research. nesmamnet.org

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Nov 16

Hello BlueSky from the North East Scotland Mammal Network! We are a local mammal group (founded in 2023) covering Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Looking forward to interacting with #mammal enthusiasts all over this platform.

Two Grey Seals, one holding up a flipper to look like it is waving

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · 2d

We're delighted to kick off our winter online webinar series this month with Lindsey Taylor of Skerry Detection Dogs, highlighting the growing role of detection dogs in mammal monitoring.

The talk takes place on Wednesday 29 October 7.30 pm.

See:
www.eventbrite.com/e/conservati...

A spaniel in a harness, nose to the ground, moving along a woodland floor.

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · 4d

Happy #NationalBadgerDay from one of our resident clan. Don't forget to send all your local records to NESBReC (North East Scotland Biological Records Centre) or submit to the @mammalsociety.bsky.social's Mammal Mapper App.

#mammal #recording

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · 5d

Read the latest blog post from our friends at Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project:

www.aberdeenmarinemammals.org/news

Six people stood facing out across a sea channel with a Grey Seal haul-out. One person is explaining something to the others.

Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Xavier Lambin @lambin-ecology.bsky.social · 5d

For 101 years, ecologists have sought to explain the 3-4 years multi-annual cycles of voles and lemmings. In our paper, doi.org/10.1073/pnas..., we find that Density-dependent recruitment, but not survival drives cyclic dynamics in a field vole population, overturning accepted wisdom.

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · 7d

Check out the latest blog post on our website: share.google/YkpoaulldGQR... - the first on a planned series about what our #mammals are up to through the year.

September Mammals

This is the first in a series of planned articles by local zoologist, Annie Lamb, looking at what our mammals are up through the year. Check back here for future articles… Mammals in general are af…

share.google

Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Andrew Whitehouse @anthrobirder.bsky.social · 19d

Red Squirrels are getting commoner in Aberdeen city but this one at St Fittick's Park today was my first patch record. It seemed to be enjoying the cones.
#Mammals #Squirrels #UKWildlife @nesmammals.bsky.social

A Red Squirrel is in a coniferous tree holding a cone.

A Red Squirrel is in a coniferous tree, eating a cone.

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Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · 24d

Plenty of Daubenton's #Bats action at Cults reservoir this evening. Also *lots* of Common, Soprano and Nathusius' Pipistrelles. #thermalcamera
[best on a large screen!]

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

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · 27d

There seems to have been a substantial influx of Nathusius' Pipistrelles in recent days. This is a migrant species (though some also breed here) and these may have come from north-eastern Europe.

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · 27d

Gosh. That Nathusius' Pipistrelle #bat spike just got a heck of a lot spikier! Not seen anything like this in several years of recording.

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

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Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · Sep 11

Bit of a surprise jump in the number of Nathusius' Pipistrelle #bat recordings in the garden in the last few days!

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

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Sep 8

Abstract submission for the next Mammal Society annual conference, which will be in Inverness in March, is now open.

Great opportunity to highlight some of the excellent #MammalResearch taking place across North East Scotland. Get your abstracts in by 30th November mammal.org.uk/annual-confe...

A Mountain Hare in white winter coat, on brown snow-free heather.

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Sep 3

Happy National Pine Marten Day!

If you’re wondering what Pine Marten get up to in September, look out for a new blog coming out later this month - the first in a series of blogs highlighting what local mammals are up to throughout each calendar month.

#mammal

Carved wooden statue of a Pine Marten in a woodland with a knitted Pine Marten perched alongside it.

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Sep 2

Scottish Wild Boar numbers are on the up. There don't seem to be current populations in North-East Scotland, but potential for re-establishment going forward.

The James Hutton Institute @hutton.ac.uk · Sep 2

🐗 Once extinct in Britain, wild boar are back in Scotland’s forests — and their numbers are set to rise.

New Hutton research predicts the population will grow from 1,472 to 2,399 by 2075, spreading across the Highlands, Perthshire, Moray & more.

More: ow.ly/axCq50WPxBr

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Aug 27

We had a great talk a few months back by @jackantbam.bsky.social about his research on diversionary feeding to reduce Pine Marten predation on Capercaillie. Brilliant to see this associated paper now published.

Journal of Applied Ecology @jappliedecology.bsky.social · Aug 22

Bridging the implementation gap: From predator control to non-lethal impact-based intervention🌏

Through a co-designed experiment with practitioner & community engagement, this study evaluated the effects of diversionary feeding as a non-lethal strategy to reduce predation🧪

doi.org/10.1111/1365...

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Aug 19

Lots of events, both online and in the field, coming up over the next few months. Take a look!

#Mammals #MammalID #BiologicalRecording #Conservation

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Aug 18

Wildlife monitoring would be so much easier if it wasn't for the, errr, wildlife.

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · Aug 14

Ahh. @wildlifeacoustics.com SM4 foam windshield eaten by a Red Deer when checked yesterday. Not helpful.
#bioacoustics @nesmammals.bsky.social

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Aug 5

Weasel on the #SmallMammal #CameraTrap recently at Craibstone, Aberdeen.

We record these wee critters pretty frequently this way - presumably attracted by the 🐀🐁🐭 smells.

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Aug 5

Interesting Aberdeenshire study about drivers of varying rates of Badger predation on waders.

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · Aug 3

#Badgers (in #Aberdeenshire) predate more #Lapwing nests when it is cold.

@scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social #scottishbirding @nesmammals.bsky.social

And, no - not Waxwings (rubbish publisher linking!)
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Temperature drives inter‐annual variation in badger Meles meles predation of lapwing Vanellus vanellus on Scottish hill‐edge farmland

Wading birds have declined globally, with particularly pronounced declines in western Europe. Multiple species are now on the IUCN Red List, with northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus near-threatened an...

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Aug 3

Sorry for the late update (we know you've all been waiting), but here is the final tally for the #NESMammalChallenge July 2025......35 species!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a record. Please do send them in to NESBReC North East Scotland Biological Records Centre/ Mammal Society.

Infographic listing the 35 mammal species reported.

Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · Jul 31

Red #Deer investigating a clearly not very well hidden #trailcam.

@nesmammals.bsky.social @mammalsociety.bsky.social

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Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · Jul 31

This is where a pair of Aberdeenshire #Nightjars are nesting & roosting. Not a great choice -a Red #Deer highway! Lucky the eggs/young didn't get trampled - or eaten by deer.

@scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social @mammalsociety.bsky.social @nesmammals.bsky.social #birdingscotland

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Reposted by North East Scotland Mammal Network

Andrew Whitehouse @anthrobirder.bsky.social · Aug 1

Dark shapes jumping at the horizon. The sea off Girdle Ness this evening was heaving with White-beaked Dolphins. Dozens were doing fast leaps out of the water, both horizontally and vertically. Most were around 2-3 miles out but some were a few miles more distant.
#UKWildlife #Dolphins #Cetaceans

A very distant photo of a dappled blue-grey sea with two White-beaked Dolphins surfacing. These are the dark shapes showing their dorsal fins.

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North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Jul 30

That's a July NE Scotland bat full house ♠️♣️♥️♦️

#NESMammalChallenge

Alan Knox @alanknox.bsky.social · Jul 29

Another Leisler's #Bat in Cults last night. Second this year after one in the garden last month. A very rare bat this far north.

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

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Jul 26

No prizes for guessing which was the most frequently recorded #mammal last year in North East Scotland. But who else was on the league table of records?

Read our latest blog to find out nesmamnet.org/2025/07/20/2...

A Red Squirrel looking down from a branch.

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Jul 25

If you're prepared to write that species in the annual mammal report...

North East Scotland Mammal Network @nesmammals.bsky.social · Jul 25

Only if we're stuck on 30 at midnight on Thursday!