Baby Hedgehogs

Ragwort and Water Voles

 Commas

 Southern Hawker

 What looks like a vole-cut to me, and the plant was right next to a burrow and a feeding station.

It's clear, especially when you're doing The Big Butterfly Count, how much insects love ragwort. But I thought mammals avoided eating the fresh plant because it tasted nasty. However, this does look like water vole-gnawing to me (third photo down) as it was high up the stem, a slanted cut, and right next to a burrow and other feeding. I've never found ragwort in feed stations, so my guess is a water vole just gave this a try, thought it was horrible and gave up.

Some Nice Shots to Share

Stoat

A couple of days ago I was waiting for voles and a stoat appeared, slinking through the grass. It's been a week and a half since I had a good photo of a water vole, and it struck me that perhaps they'd changed their patterns to be more nocturnal and avoid the predator. There were still plenty of field signs about. I stuck the trail cam down and yes, it looks as if that's the case.

Which leads me to another question: when do water shrews ever sleep?

Amphibians at Brown Moss

Possibly a Mother Shipton moth?

Juvenile common newt

 Juvenile coot

Spot the teeny toad!

A young great crested newt (and friend)

Water shrew at the back

Edgeley Road water vole

Now Summer's Really Here

 water vole latrine

speckled wood

yellowhammer

young toads

a great crested newt

huge common toad

privet hawk moth

juvenile water vole again (note the large feet)