Bits and Pieces

A burrow at White Lion Meadow

Possible old droppings at White Lion Meadow

Prints at Edward German Drive

Prints all along the ditch near Grocontinental

The ditch near Grocontinental - industrial estate end

The ditch near Grocontinental - Edgeley Road end

Laid a raft at Steel Heath this morning to monitor the colony there, and this afternoon went for a poke around the ditches near my house to see if there was any activity. I hadn't been there two minutes before I saw another kingfisher - amazing, given how bleak the banks look just now. I would never have guessed they'd live so close to the industrial estate.

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There were lots and lots of prints in the mud, but are they water vole or rat? It's not a good time of year to look for droppings, and recent strimming made searching for feeding pretty much impossible as there were pieces of cut reed everywhere.

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After that I popped down to White Lion Meadow and saw more confusing prints, plus what might be water vole droppings, though again it's not clear. There was a burrow just above the pipe, too.

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Finally I had a walk up to Edward German Drive and spotted yet more prints, plus some feeding on buttercups.