100 water voles!!!

[scholesy]

This is a lovely little news video from BBC about the introduction of 100 Water Voles. They are being introduced into the Swale river system at Foxglove Covert nature reserve.

Foxglove Covert nature reserve is at Catterick, Richmondshire in North Yorkshire.

BBC - Search results for water voles catterick

Never heard of this reserve before, but there is a website:
Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve

Only ever had one Water Vole experience. Probably around 17yrs ago. love to see one again. hoplefully with schemes like this and removal of Minks, may get another chance.

Paul

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Great little video. The Army seem to be getting involved with the release of Water Voles on thier land, a few weeks ago a similar number were released on the Warcop training area.
I hope you manage to see one soon, they are great little creatures. Good luck.

BWD

[vole-woman]

That's terrific. Been away and nearly missed this little gem! Thanks for posting it.

[vole-woman]

I see the wonderful Derek Gow's behind the scheme, too. I think my dream is to own a water-vole farm like him!

[Phil Blackman]

Last year Water Voles were reintroduced in the Arundel (Sussex) area. They've really taken off. Often see them in the rifes around the river Arun near the Wildfowl reserve.
Just hope the local keepers keep the Mink population down.

[vole-woman]

There are some Arundel voles on YouTube, along with our Billy Wobble Dagger's video, and those of my friend Flyingdales.

[vole-woman]

YouTube - Water Vole at WWT Arundel

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

I see the wonderful Derek Gow's behind the scheme, too. I think my dream is to own a water-vole farm like him!

Do you need a helper

[vole-woman]

You'll be first on the list.

[volio]

yay! I just found out you can volunteer work in a Water Vole conservation in scotland in the cairngorms - or do work experience there .... the link is

Scotland's Water Vole Conservation Project

I love Water Voles

[vole-woman]

Ooh, I'm going to out that link on my blog. Fantastic, volio; well done.

I see they're using a video of my very own local voles, too!

[Phil Blackman]

I've just read about the Game Conservancy releasing 600 Water Voles on the River Dore in Herefordshire
On another subject, I've not seen so much of the voles at Arundel lately which I've put down to the high cover around the water ways. I did wonder though do Brown Rats predate them? There always seem to be plenty of these there and I know they'll eat just about anything. Have there been problems with these at other reintroduction sites?

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

You'll be first on the list.

Thank you


Brown Rats will predate on Water Voles, but the main threat comes from the American Mink (urgh) and Stoats. Although owls herons and even pike will take them. Not good news if your a Water Vole.

BWD

[volio]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Ooh, I'm going to out that link on my blog. Fantastic, volio; well done.

I see they're using a video of my very own local voles, too!

how cool - that they are using your Water Vole vid - awesome!!

[vole-woman]

It's my friend's video. I've got loads of footage (hours and hours!) from last year but no idea how to upload it to the internet. A shame, really, because there's a nice sequence with two voles fighting in the water, and another where a big vole stares out a little one till the little vole freaks and jumps over its head.

This May there was a problem with rats in my local bit of brook, I think because there was a population explosion within a very small area. The rats were getting food out of the bin by the swimming pool/supermarket/youth centre. The voles disappeared completely - some moved upstream - and I called in the council pest control officer. Once the rats were gone, the voles came back.

There's still the odd rat around, but one or two the voles seem to be able to cope with.

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

It's my friend's video. I've got loads of footage (hours and hours!) from last year but no idea how to upload it to the internet. A shame, really, because there's a nice sequence with two voles fighting in the water, and another where a big vole stares out a little one till the little vole freaks and jumps over its head.

Morning v-w,
I would love to see some of your videos. I use windows movie maker to download on to and then edit the video on the computer. It’s easyish to use and the results are good. I don't think you can upload video straight to WAB like you can photos, but you can add a link to youtube.
Hope to see some more of your Water Voles soon.


BWD

[vole-woman]

There's a new video clip of the Whitchurch voles on my blog, taken and posted last night.

Will investigate Windows Movie-Maker.

[robin-rachel]

Hiya everyone xXx I'm new to this site and i've already posted somewhere else about my findings over the last week while i was down in Somerset. Anyway to cut a long story longer lol ;o) while we were out one day a couple of local lads showed myself and family a vole. It was the tiniest cutest thing . I had it in the palm of my hand , and it was as small as a mouse if not smaller. I thought they were this size all the time but after looking at the vole video clip it seems this one may have actually been a baby. The cute little thing though had a long pointy kind of nose. The voles i seen in the video clip had more snub noses. Do you think it was a Vole after all? .. It was the colour of a Mole and as tiny as a mouse and had lovely fine little fingers(feet lol) not webbed at all. it had a long tail too !!! Being from the city i haven't seen either a Mole or a vole before so forgive the naive description . Your video has got me wondering now though lol.. Help ;o) xXx

[vole-woman]

I believe Water Voles can give you "a snorter of a bite", so whatever it is you were lucky!

Seriously, if it had a pointy nose, it's more likely to have been some sort of mouse. Have a look at my blog for June 2nd, and there's a photo of a baby Wood Mouse. (Click on it to enlarge if you want to see more detail.) That was incredibly tame - I could have picked it up if I'd wanted. A friend said yesterday she found one and it made no effort to run away, so whether it's something to do with this particular species I don't know. But baby Wood Mice are about the size of half your thumb and very very sweet.

[vole-woman]

Just to add, though, Water Voles don't have webbed feet either (to confuse the issue). But they do have long and rather dextrous 'fingers'.

[robin-rachel]

Hello again. Its been a while, and this little creature has had me bewildered since last summer. I think i have finally found out what it was that i seen now. I think its a shrew ! I seen one on the tv the other night advertising something and im sure thats what it was down south last year. Its the only thing ive seen thats really similar. Finally ive quenched my wonderment..;o) xXx

[shirl]

Originally Posted by robin-rachel

Hello again. Its been a while, and this little creature has had me bewildered since last summer. I think i have finally found out what it was that i seen now. I think its a shrew ! I seen one on the tv the other night advertising something and im sure thats what it was down south last year. Its the only thing ive seen thats really similar. Finally ive quenched my wonderment..;o) xXx

Hi there

Have a look on this small mammals guide, might confirm it, but with a pointy nose it wouldn't be a vole and a shrew has a very distinctive nose, completely different to mice and rats, most shrews (except pygmy) are elusive creatures and are active mainly at night or dawn although there are exceptions as with my recent Water Shrew sightings - see pic (bit difficult to see properly as they swim and dive really fast, they are dark on top but look silvery when under water)

http://www.erccis.co.uk/mammals/down...allmammals.pdf




Shirl