The Difference Between Young and Old

The top three shots show a juvenile water vole: pretty much adult size but with glossy, chestnut fur. The lower three photos are of an adult, no bigger but with greyer, rougher fur.

Family Groups

Above: adult and baby vole.

Below, a trio of juvenile voles.

 This adult tells this juv to scarper!

  Like many water voles I've observed, this one has a white spot on its forehead.

So many voles about tonight it was hard to keep count. There were definitely two adults, three juveniles and a baby, and quite a lot of bickering and flopping into the water going on. The juveniles, who are more chestnut-coloured here, seemed to tolerate each other well, but the adult chased the baby off and also got rid of a juvenile vole it encountered.

Tons of voles, and a weasel

This water vole has an injury to its eye, but the cut is healing well and the vole seems fine.

This water vole is a young adult, in tip top condition.

  

Various latrines. Very often the presence of feasting slugs will indicate where there's trampled poo!

Four Spotted Chaser?

Green Hairstreak

Slow worm

Excitingly, lots of water vole latrines at Cuckoo Corner, Whixhall Moss.

I put a trail cam out to watch a burrow where activity had declined, and caught this weasel on film! So perhaps the voles have shifted up- or down-stream.

The lovely rounded bottom of a vole.

A climbing vole at White Lion Meadow! They are not built for acrobatics, and

 often fall off into the water.

An adult vole that seems to be blind in one eye. It could be another fighting injury.

Not a great photo, but the first one of a baby vole this year.

Normal Vole Service

I've seen my first baby water vole of the year, but it was too nervous for me to get a photo. However, the adults are showing well - there are two individuals here, the lower one having an injured eye which I'm pleased to say is healing well.