Stoat Still About

These voles fight, but then seem to tolerate each other on a second meeting. Maybe siblings?

Stoat

The voles are under threat from a stoat - I've seen it on trail cam - and the water is so low it's almost impossible for them to escape under the surface. I'm worried as this is so early into the season when they should be building up their numbers. I have seen a baby, so that's a good sign. Hoping for rain tomorrow!

Stoat Presence

 

I guessed it was a predator making the water voles nervous this year: I was sitting quietly last week when a stoat padded past. However, last night one vole did come out and show itself. There were at least two others moving around underwater or below the fringe of the grass.

Close Encounter with a Stoat

 Stoat stalking the water vole.

Below, lizards at Prees Heath

This water vole was almost a stoat's dinner last night. I watched it slinking along the stream while the vole sat eating, oblivious. The stoat was just starting to make its way up the bank when I let out a cough and it disappeared like lightning, closely followed by the vole. Stoats do predate water voles, but there are lots of rabbits nearby and well as field and bank voles and wood mice, so it wouldn't have gone hungry.

Predator!

White Lion Meadow (Tesco) vole

 Weasel or stoat watching me at Edgeley Road. Below, Edgeley Road water voles.

Of course stoats and weasels both eat water voles, so I had mixed feelings when this one stepped out of the nettles. However, they are native predators so shouldn't do too much damage. I've seen both stoats and weasels on this site before, as well as otters and polecats (check the tags on the right for previous posts)

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?

In More Hopeful News

I waited around a lot and did see this juvenile over two days, plus an older vole further up the stream. They seem shyer than normal, though. I still suspect it's the stoat who's rattled them.

Concerned

In spite of the photos above, I've been concerned this last week that there has been a drop in water vole numbers at one particular site, and in fact I've had three days where I've seen nothing at all. I haven't spotted any sign of mink but there is quite a lot of stoat scat about, and I've had a couple of trail cam clips. So as soon as this rain stops, I'll go back out and have a really good look to try and work out what's going on. Stoats are native predators, therefore they shouldn't be a problem, but I suppose if there's been a big enough explosion in the population this year then that might have reduced water vole numbers severely.