Well despite another three trolleys (that's four altogether at the moment) I was able to watch and film this lovely vole at 9.30 am today. There are prints all the way along the banks, from the east culvert down to the willow on the Tesco side of the bridge, but my guess is that any voles are staying mainly up at the east end, near the road, where there's still a little bit of cover left. This is where I spotted this one, about half way between the salt bin and the culvert entrance. 
3 comments:
Help needeed
I live right on the river Stour and suspect we have water vole on our bit.
We have a wealth of wildlife here (Badgers, fox, occasional Monkjack, woodpecker, yellow tail field mice and lots of Bats) and it is an ash and willow coppice near the river but also an oasis right in the middle of a town.
Thw problem is there has been a planning application made to build 5 houses (1 detached and 4 terraced) right on a bit of the coppice with the gardens extending to whithin 5-10 meters of the river itself. The river here sits in a 20' or so deep channel and the bridge crossing the river is where the bats live.
What I need to do is look for, find and prove the existence of the Vole. i have seen several vole over the past 5 years but am not qualified to say which species they are.
Any advice on what I do now?
Earl
Has the application been approved? Contact the council and say you believe there are water voles present and a condition of the granting of any building application must be to carry out a full ecological survey and then to out mitigation measures in place if water voles are found. Key factors as how water levels from the houses are controlled - will their presence affect the water levels of the water course? Also they must ensure a buffer strip along the bank where no building work takes place. And nothing that affects the water must be discharged into it - no washing cementy equipment or chucking bits of rubbish in there.
You must also contact your local Wildlife Trust, because they might have someone who can come out and have a look at the site, and you could try natural England for advice. The Environment Agency can only help where a water course is being blocked or polluted, but they might want to have a look at the plans too.
Hope this helps.
Btw, the ecological survey and mitigation are legal requirements, and builders and councils have been fined lots for ignoring procedure, so don't be afraid to press the point.
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