Squeak

Juvenile

Squeaking adult
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I've only ever heard water voles vocalise during fighting, so it was a surprise to hear this large vole repeatedly squeaking at the juvenile one. I think it was an attempt to get it to back off from the apple, though in the past what's usually happened is that the lager vole just steams in and takes the food without a sound. The squeak was very high, almost like a piping bird.

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Post script: a fellow vole fan on the Wild About Britain forum's just give me this link which features a 'piping' water vole audio clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/European_Water_Vole

Baby, Grown Up

Adult

Half grown water vole. Is this the baby from a couple of weeks ago?

Three Voles and a Shrew

Water vole droppings planted on a mole hill, near Grocontinental.

Very trampled latrine (click to enlarge) at the far end of the field from Grocontinental.

Delighted to report the colonies in the ditch near Grocontinental are also doing OK, though it's a struggle to get to them as the nettles and thistles are now shoulder height (great for insects and birds!).

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Lots of water vole activity in the field off Edgeley Road. In fact I've never heard such a racket. The shrew I keep seeing is very dark on top and almost white underneath. Do water shrews eat shrimps? Because the stream is teeming with them.

Husband home from hospital!

It's been a few weeks since I was able to get down to the field, but the voles are obviously doing well. Latrines everywhere, and two sightings within half an hour.

Rounded

I may have chopped this vole's nose off, but there's a nice clear shot of the dark brown hairy tail. Sometimes tails are all you glimpse, so it's important to know the difference between a vole's and a rat's (greyish-pink and naked). The generally rounded shape to the vole's body is the other quick-spot giveaway.

Yum

Voles are like Buses

It's ages since I posted a latrine pic - so there you are. Don't say I never treat you.

Ringlet (I think)

Burnet moth

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You wait for ages and then two turn up and once. An hour and nothing but a flash by my feet of what was either the baby water vole, or possibly a bank vole, I couldn't tell which. Then, just as I was about to pack up, two large adults came round the corner practically nose to tail. One carried on up the stream, and the other hung around and ate some apple.