Doing Well Everywhere Except White Lion Meadow

Two adult voles, but no fighting.

Grocontinental vole feeding on starwort

Out-of-focus Grocontinental vole

The ditch behind Saddlers Walk/Queensway

Feeding station behind Saddlers Walk/Queensway

Large adult rat at White Lion Meadow

When I set up this blog, the idea was to concentrate on one water vole colony based by the main town car park in Whitchurch. This colony remains my favourite as the voles there are so friendly and don't mind having their photos taken, and it's an accessible and public place. But every year the voles struggle with rats, and this year the latter are taking some shifting. I don't know whether the water voles are still around this area or if they've moved up stream or are staying mainly underground. There was a definite water vole latrine by the bridge a week or so back, and there's a bit of feeding since but that could be field voles. So the jury's out till we get more sightings again. I'll ask the pest controller what he thinks is the best way to proceed.

.

Meanwhile other colonies seem to be doing well. I checked the field behind Saddler's Walk/by the cricket club/Hatton Way/Queensway, and it's bursting with feeding stations; I've never seen so many in such a short stretch. And yet the stream is barely a puddle - nothing a vole could really swim in. What there is, though, is plenty of cover. Can you guess what Shropshire Council are contemplating doing with this area? That's right: building houses all over it.

.

Saw two voles tonight in the ditch by Grocontinental. They didn't fight even though one passed by the other very close, so I don't know whether that means they're related.