Can you tell me what this is for

They are stopover places for Dormice. Places for them to sleep but not to hibernate as that will come later and are usually bird boxes.
Please don't disturb the boxes as dormice are a protected species, even wildlife 'experts' have to be licenced before they can touch them.

 

Hi CA, Thanks for that info..been wondering for ages what they were. Haven't seen any in the nature reserve near me though!

 

So that's the answer! Never seen anything like it before Pete's photo, and probably won't up here - more's the pity! Do you have a background in this sort of thing, CA?

 

Great! I'm glad it's not a trap- I've seen the dormouse boxes for hibernation, as CA said just birdboxes.
Be good if we could encourage more.

 

Thanks CA, as said earlier by dendrobium do you have any involvment in this kind of thing.
The area where they are, is shortly about to be badly affected by nearby building work, so why the number on each box I wonder.
Do dormice sleep during the day?
Stupid question

 

I do belong to the Dorset Wildlife Trust but am no expert. It just happens that we were walking in Lydford Gorge in Devon a couple of weeks ago and the boxes were there. However, the NT had kindly placed a notice beside the first one we spotted and told us what they were doing with it.

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