This vole is eating spiny bramble stalks, apparently without any difficulty.

For Anne

Today this blog remembers the very wonderful Anne Monie and all she did for voles, and all the kind and generous things she did for the community. Very much missed. 

And here's the first vole of 2019, at White Lion Meadow.

No Sightings Yet, But...

Common Lizard at Wem Moss

Yellowhammer, Prees Heath

Below, starry water vole footprints at White Lion Meadow.

Any Day Now...

It's felt like a long winter. Now it's February, I'm watching out at White Lion Meadow especially because this is where I often get my first water vole sighting of the year, and I notice this burrow has appeared under the bridge...

Closing Up for the Winter

 Small copper.

 Common red darter.

 Two well-camouflaged common newts.

I haven't seen a water vole for a couple of weeks now, so I'm assuming they've taken themselves underground in the main, ready for the colder weather. This is the time sightings usually stop, although I have occasionally seen them in November. I'd hope next year's sightings to be starting around mid-February or March. However, you can still see their little starry pawprints down at White Lion Meadow (the car park by Tesco), so there must be some above-ground activity.

Getting Ready to Go Underground

These are all White Lion Meadow voles seen this month. There are at least three individuals operating on this stretch, all busily eating to pile on the weight for winter. I don't suppose they'll be visible for long now: soon they'll retire below ground to wait out the colder weather.