Bridge sightings

At the top of Willow Lane there is a bridge which leads into a field, at the moment full of barley waiting to be brought in. The bridge looks down on a stream which is heavily choked with plants, wild watercress and others. Recent rains have flattened it and i saw two water voles, one from each side of the bridge. Both were sitting on the flattened vegetation, reaching up occasionally and pulling down a strand before settling down to munch away. A delightful 10 minutes observation, then, leaving them undisturbed, I walked George back home.

Stream drying, nettles cut.

How fortunate we are to have seen so many water voles this year. Recently, the nettles and dense vegetation which had grown on the stream banks has been cut. The important point here is that the agency doing the work wanted to use weed killer and that, through the diligence and insistence of DG they were told to cut it instead.  He pointed out to them that the weed killer may well have harmed the water voles. I caught a very short glimpse of a rather quick moving water vole recently, the lack of bankside vegetation making them very wary at the moment. The song thrushes are busy collecting grass and mud from the stream edge before, with a beak full of material, flying off to build, another nest. Martins and swallows with the occasional swift circle and swoop over head. Moorhens cackle and cluck as they move along the stream in nearby Long Lane. Wild geraniums, a beautiful pale blue grow through the long grasses. Willow Lane is alive with various life, I look down at the stream, now becoming drier and see a lone frog emerge, just it's head and think how lucky we are to witness this transient time. I stroke Milo and give him some fresh grass before returning home.

More late evening sightings

Walking down Willow Lane as dusk is falling with a looming thunderstorm approaching I hastened my little excursion to walk George. However, the heady fragrance of May blossom and the atmospheric quietness made me linger. I immediately saw a very quick water vole jump into the stream and then hide among dense vegetation growing from the water. Moving on I saw another vole, and then listened. A song thrush was singing, the variety of it's song became mesmerising and I stopped to try and record the sound. Robins, great tits and warblers, possibly a whitethroat sang in the background. As the light began to fade I was aware of the small flitting shapes of bats feeding. These bats were much smaller than ones seen nearby a couple of days earlier.

Several sightings

This morning I saw two water voles at the nature reserve end of Willow Lane. The days leading up to today have also provided views for several other people. We can reliably say that there are as many as ten voles along this length of the stream.

Here are some excellent recent pictures from BWS.

Another sighting

before long the plants growing alongside the stream will make water vole spotting difficult. Yesterday, when meeting up with BC on his way back with George, along Willow Lane, we saw a water vole. It was sitting on the far bank eating leaves, pulling down stems and nibbling away. After a short while it swam a little way off and emerged to start eating again. The sighting was nearer the west end of the stream quite close to the nature reserve. It was a smaller adult. Mid brown.

Another sighting

Yesterday, Friday  I took George for his morning walk along Willow Lane. Towards the Long Lane end I was delighted to see another vole. A large, darker brown vole which swam to the stream edge and emerged to sit and groom. As I watched it, it spotted a large dock leaf which it pulled down and sort of folded up and then its cheeks were a blur of quick nibbling as it devoured the leaf. Having done this it spied a large compound leaf, not sure what it was but it was bigger than the vole. It then began eating this as well. I watched it preen itself some more and then watched as it swam off.

Good sighting

I took George for his morning walk alongside the stream in Willow Lane, passing a song thrush perching on a small ash tree. The sun was shining bright warming the day which started chilly. The reddish brown body and bushy tail of a fox glided off the path into the deep embryonic vivid green vegetation. Everything is bright and crisp, visibility good. Suddenly, I spot a tell tale ripple, it was about thirty yards away. I approach cautiously, quietly, anticipation rising. There is nothing. I am about to abandon the hope of seeing a vole then, on the bank opposite, about 4 yards away I see a water vole. It is preening itself at the edge of the stream. I become a statue, not moving, and watch. It dips it hands into the waters edge and splashes its face. It turns its head and buries it inside a rear leg. It rubs it hands behind his ears. Is it using glands to waterproof it's fur?
I quietly move off smiling and hoping to see it again another day.