Very surprised mustelid - juvenile stoat?
Brimstone moth
Poplar Hawk moth
Muslin moth
Waved Umber
Pale Tussock
Buff Ermine
Monday, 30 May 2016
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
First Baby Vole of the Year
Baby water vole, Edgeley Road. The fur is darker than an adult, and the feet relatively larger.
White Lion Meadow vole
Burrow at White Lion Meadow
A White Lion Meadow vole that we've been watching for a while. It's blind in one eye and has a poorly foot, but seems to be holding its own.
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Struggling to Get Sightings, but the Voles are There
White Lion Meadow vole
Common newt found under garden rubbish
The ugliness of the baby coot
Great Crested newt and friend
Water vole feeding at Edgeley Road
Kestrel at Edgeley Road
The beginnings of a water vole latrine at Edgeley Road
Reed bunting
White Lion Meadow vole
Stunning pic of a water vole mum and its pup, taken by Steve Norris at the Sculthorpe Moor nature reserve. @sculthorpemoor
Sunday, 8 May 2016
Further Afield
Timber yard vole
Above: feeding at Railwayman's Cottage. Below: feeding at the back of Wayland's Road
White Lion Meadow vole that's blind in one eye.
What look like water vole burrows at the edge of Wem Moss.
You can follow the Staggsbrook along from the timber yard behind Tesco, through White Lion Meadow car park and down Edward German Drive, then into Wayland Road and to Railwayman's Cottage (the bridge by Homebase), and see water vole signs all the way along. Mostly it's feeding and burrows - I'm not seeing many latrines so far this year - but there is clear activity right through.
Meanwhile the Whitchurch Water Vole Group has surveyed the stretch of brook as it comes out on the other side of town, along Greenfields and into the nature reserve. Again, there were plenty of signs and even a sighting. So it's looking like a decent start to the year.
The burrows at the edge of Wem Moss were a surprise, though. I know there are plenty of colonies around Whixall, but this stream's black, acid and peaty and just doesn't look very inviting. It goes to show, water voles keep you on your toes!
