As part of the national dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) monitoring programme, run by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) South West Lakes Trust installed 50 boxes in Slew Wood, below Roadford dam. Slew Wood is mainly a conifer plantation, with a broadleaved woodland fringe, but has had historic records of dormice. Following two years of monitoring, with no success, a decision was taken to relocate the boxes in March this year. Finding the boxes was not so straight forward with one errant box taking nearly an hour!

Finally following a full day on site all the boxes were relocated into Coombe Wood (also known as Banbury). Coombe Wood is located within the SWW operational area between the access road and the dam pumping station. The boxes were relocated in agreement with the SWWL drinking water services team (thanks guys) and a team from South West Lakes Trust and South West Water moved the boxes (good team effort!).

The boxes look like bird boxes, however the access hole is in the back of the box. The box is then hung from suitable trees and coppiced hazel by wires so the mice can enter the boxes from the tree trunks.

The Coombe Wood site provides potentially much better habitat, with a broad range of food plants and an interconnecting canopy, providing aerial walkways for the mice. The site also had historic records of the presence of dormice from the bat box surveys undertaken by the Devon Bat Group. The use of bat boxes also shows that dormice truly are aerial canopy dwellers as many of the bat boxes are over 4m off the ground!!
 

Following installation the boxes were monitored for the first time in May (no presence evident) and again in September this year, the latter survey giving surprising results. Breeding dormice were recorded, with one female occupying a box with seven youngsters!

Paul McNie, South West Water Principal Scientist (Environment) said "South West Water were pleased that the boxes could be relocated onto the operational area of the site and the uptake of the boxes was much faster than I expected"

Lisa Tame, South West Lakes Trust Conservation Manager "After having surveyed in May this year to find no presence we were presently surprised and extremely pleased to find breeding dormouse in Coombe Woods. The dormouse population at Roadford appears stable when taking into account the original survey site at Southweek where seven adults were recorded this year and Coombe Wood where a total of two adults and seven young were found. "

Paul Gregory, dormouse licence holder working with SWLT said "available nesting sites are a limiting factor in the population dynamics for this species. This box relocation supports the ongoing monitoring of dormice in several woodlands at Roadford and demonstrates that boxes can provide valuable nesting sites, benefiting breeding success."

Dormice are a national and European Protected Species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981 as amended) and the Habitats Regulations (1994). Consequently the surveying of boxes and any disturbance can only be undertaken by Natural England licensed persons.