IT’S taken a long time but finally a dormouse has turned up.

This little lassie was captured on National Trust land at Purbeck where ecologists have spent the past nine years searching for the elusive creatures.

A single female has been found nesting in a hedgerow just yards from the main A351 road between Wareham and Corfe Castle.

Dormice have been recorded on just one other site in Purbeck during the last 10 years – at Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve Stonehill Down west of Corfe Castle.

National Trust ecologist Angela Peters began the search for evidence of dormice on the trust’s Purbeck estate in 2002.

Since 2005 it has been the job of husband-and-wife ecology volunteer team Di Hall and John Winterbottom, who together made the exciting find.

The pair found the dormouse nesting in a special survey tube designed to attract the shy rodents.

She has now been transferred to a nesting box and it is hoped she will soon go into hibernation before emerging next spring.

Di said: “When I opened the tube I found the dormouse in a woven nest that was beautifully constructed with sides and a back.

“She was 21gms, which is a good weight for hibernation.”

The find confirms the value of National Trust policies to manage land with wildlife in mind, said Angela Peters.

In particular, wooded corridors have been maintained through farmland, allowing the tiny mammals to move from place to place.

Angela would like to hear from anyone who thinks they have evidence of dormice living in Purbeck.

If you can help call Angela on 01929 452308 or email angela.peters@nationaltrust.org.uk