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	Animals and Birds Dormice One of the rare animals that makes its home at Pepperbox Hill is the dormouse. They are very rare. Dormice like to eat hazel nuts and it is easy to tell if a dormouse or a squirrel has eaten the nut from the size and shape of the hole they have gnawed. They make their nests in low brambles. The nests are small and are made of different grasses. Simon, the warden, brought a nest into school to show us what they are like. It is about 7-8 cm across and about 4-5 cm high. We hope to have a survey done to show the number of dormice at the site but this will need to be done by a licensed dormouse handler. Badgers and The Badger Gate There are also rabbits, foxes and badgers. The farmer next door was having a problem with rabbits getting into his fields and eating his crops. Simon built a special gate in the fence. It is hinged at the top and is big enough for a badger to get through but is too heavy for a rabbit to push open. This means that the badgers CAN get through but the rabbits are trapped behind it and cannot eat the farmer's crops.


	Fieldfare The fieldfare is about 25 cm long. This makes them larger than a Song Thrush and smaller than a Mistle Thrush. They traditionally breed in north eastern Europe, migrating south west in winter to western Europe. The birds arrive in Great Britain from September to November and return east in March and April. They make their nests out of mud and grass at different heights, even on the ground if there are no trees in the area. They eat many different foods such as berries , fruit , cereals and most worms and insects.


	Redwing The redwing is smaller than a song thrush. It has reddish wing and body markings. It breeds in north Europe and Asia flying south in winter.


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