So What About the Voles?

The Staggsbrook at Edgeley Road has only recently subsided to its usual course. Up till now, it's been flooded. However, below are the water vole field signs that are beginning to appear.

prints

feeding station

Below, two photos of droppings.

Below, a single dropping at the Wood Yard behind Tesco, plus a print.

Orange Tip butterfly

Meadow Pipit above, and below, a male Stonechat.

Male reed bunting above and fledgeling thrush below.

Male linnet

A combination of building work at White Lion Meadow (Tesco car park), and horrendous rainfall, seems to have impacted on water vole appearances. But there are now the beginnings of signs on three sites, and I will continue to monitor those places and report any sightings.

Garden Sparrowhawk

No Voles Yet, but Lots of Birds

Willow Warbler

Male Redstart

Wheatears

 

Grey Wagtail

Siskin

Pied Flycatcher

male greenfinches

Mr and Ms stonechat.

Sneaky snipe.

red kite

egret

chiffchaff

Welsh Seals and Goats

 

This male grey seal is moulting, hence the shabby look.

This is as close as you can get to the seals, and wardens watch to make sure the seals are safe from people and dogs. It is very stressful for seals to be hassled. I used a 125X zoom lens to get my photos.

Many curlews and redshanks at RSPB Conwy

The wild goats of Llandudno keeping the road verges trimmed.

Back in Shropshire, here are two water vole burrows off Greenfields Rise.

Corn Bunting!

 

Really pleased to see this corn bunting, as I haven't seen one in this spot for five years. Also spotted a kestrel, skylarks, lapwings, my first chiff chaff of the year, and this badger sett where the occupants were clearly having a spring-clean.

Into 2024, with Hares.

 

meadow pipit above, fieldfares below