Friday 28 September 2007


I think the voling season may be over: it's true that last year I managed to keep spotting them at White Lion Meadow car park till the start of November, but there was a much bigger colony and also the weather was quite a lot milder. Water voles don't hibernate, but they do spend longer and longer periods underground as winter takes hold.
So instead of a vole I post pictures of the installation of the information board near Whitchurch Country Park. I saw a water vole just across the road from here, swimming under the bridge, one evening early this summer. (I should add, the board isn't really 6 feet high. The picture was taken before we sank the legs into concrete.)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you say the voling season may be over, what does that mean? Please excuse my ignorance! but what do voles do in winter - do they hibernate?

Kate said...

Not specifically. They spend longer and longer periods underground, so to the human eye it's as though they've hibernated - you're unlikely to see a water vole between December to February. Field signs also disappear. You have to just cross your fingers and wait for the spring!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Kate. I guess winter would be a good time to get those trolleys and litter cleared away then - if the voles are underground they'd be less likely to be disturbed by the work.

Kate said...

The trolleys are out at the moment - thanks, EA! - but I might go down with my 10 foot litter-picker later today and see whether I can get out the cans and bottles. It beats me why anyone would want to much up such a lovely place.