Friday 1 April 2016

Water Vole Signs - Collect the Set!


A White Lion Meadow water vole from this time last year



Burrows appearing at Edgeley Road


Edgeley Road: the first water vole droppings I've seen this year. 
I expect this spot will be established as a proper latrine shortly.



 Starry prints: top set at Edgeley Road, bottom set from Edward German Drive, 
where I think there is also a burrow.


Outside the timber yard behind Tesco. Could this be volescaping at the bottom of the bank?

I've had no actual sightings for a few days, but lots of vole signs are staring to appear around Whitchurch.

4 comments:

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

You must have eyes like a microscope!

Kate said...

Ha ha! Hundreds of hours doing survey work.

Le Pré de la Forge said...

This is very useful Kate... I learn more at every visit.
Because we have both Coypu and Musk Rat here, as well as Brown Rats... the edge of the millstream is well used... however, signs the size of Watervole holes in the undergrowth are everywhere... now I "see" them!!

Found a lovely latrine... very fresh... the area had been underwater two days prior!!
Only the second I've seen here.
Trail camera is currently mounted above a set of runs [on a tripod and pointed down]... lots of vole activity...
got a nice clip of two voles feeding, close to each other...
presumably the two I saw chasing around.
These are 2 metres from the latrine.
It is interesting what else finds the runs useful... a mouse, either Field or Yellow-necked [we have both]... a Wren and, as well, a Dunnock!!
Post in course of preparation.
Just strolled down to check the latrine and found another, close by, used today or last night...as I hadn't pressed the submit button, I thought I'd add it!!

Kate said...

I look forward to your next update! We have lots of species in common, but no coypu or muskrats round Shropshire.