Mystery animal - what could it be?

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,702
Cumbria
A bit of an impossible to know for certain thing but due to an obsessive curiosity I thought I'd see if there's any likely contenders and many on here are very knowledgeable about natural world.

Out on this evening dog walk about 5ish. Arnside and Silverdale AONB and on a busy path through some woods on edge of village. Houses one side woods on others with estuary not too far away, may be 200 to 400m downhill.

The critter was climbing down a yew tree under the cover of ivy. It rustled 8n Jerry movements straight down the tree. It would have been small. Imho it moved jerkily like I think lizards do but being in woods unlikely a lizard I reckon.

Now I know there's a lot of blackbirds that rustle through the undergrowth in that Jerky way but it isn't the as they'd be mostly on the ground this was about metre and half up a tree then ran down it. I tracked the rustle down but lost it before the ground. I ruled out blackbird on size, climbing down a tree and I don't think whatever it is could be that big without me seeing it.

I'm wondering if it could be a mouse on the tree like that? It would be small or I would have seen it.

Not much to go on but I'm only looking at a potential list of contenders not expecting an answer.

It is a limestone area and wood with an orchard close by. Ppl and dogs use the path all day long so it isn't a quiet spot. I guess whatever it is doesn't bother with people.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,891
2,143
Mercia
Mouse, squirrel, dormouse, treecreeper & wren spring to mind (our wrens always nest in ivy)
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,702
Cumbria
Mouse, squirrel, dormouse, treecreeper & wren spring to mind (our wrens always nest in ivy)
Squirell is not likely, never seen any around here. Even a red is a bit too big to be missed. I'd see a red or grey. The critter had to be underneath the ivy leaves running up the tree. I estimate 2ish inches clearance.

Wrens but can they run down the trunk?I thought only treecreepers were able to downclimb. I've never seen treecreepers round here neither. Could be there of course.

Mouse? Do they climb trees? Dormouse do I know that but aren't they more nocturnal? It would have been on an early start if it was I reckon, but that was one of my ideas. Mouse too but I'd kind of ruled it out on the tree downclimbing thing.

Funny thing is I used to see more wrens when I lived in a town than I've ever seen here on the edge of a small village. Is it relevant that it's limestone woods terrain? Do some potentials get ruled out by limestone wood terrain?
 

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