Quoisley Bridge

Another vole at Yockings Gate this evening, obligingly swimming up the centre of the brook for quite a distance.

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Then I went to have a poke around the ditch between the canal and the A49 by Quoisley Bridge, because I've often driven past and thought it looked a likely spot. A path's been cut by a wide mower, but at the end of this section where the weeds have been left waist-high, there were two feeding stations. Given the scale of the pieces, I'd say these are definitely water vole and not field.

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So a new area to keep an eye on. This makes up for the fact that I had a look the other day round Dearnford fishery and couldn't find any signs at all, despite the fact there were plenty of voles last year.

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But colonies move around, and wax and wane, and an area that's not occupied this year might be full again the next (and vice versa).