Mammal of the day

[tufftie]

AKA - squeaking! - sorry been trying to resist it for a few hours!!! LOL

[shirl]

Hi all

My mammal of the day (24th Jan) is of course a water vole, it was so close it was virtually on my foot so I couldn't try and move to get a better shot - too much sun one side and too much shade the other!


Not sure if this will show the photo, not tried it before, oh well, if it doesn't it's in the archive.

Shirl

[mh68]

The image shows fine Shirl. I`d give my right arm to have a colony of these locally to photograph and observe...you`re very fortunate to have them close by. Great pic too

Mark H

[shirl]

Thanks Mark, you will have to arrange a holiday in the Derbyshire Dales, guaranteed to see water voles. I suspect they are going to breed early this year with all that recent mild weather, lots of activity by the canal this week. Here's a pic of another water vole, same place this morning.


Shirl

[mh68]

Fantastic Shirl The saddening thing is, we had lots of individual colonies up here prior to the Mink problems, now theyre all but gone.I used to spend hours watching them near my parents house as a kid. Only rats there now.
Seeing your shots though is the next best thing, so keep `em coming

Mark H

[shirl]

I will Mark, we were lucky with mink in 2006, did have some casualties of course, but there is such a good population along the canal they managed to survive. I am always down there keeping my eyes and ears open, beats working!

Shirl

[mh68]

Great stuff. There have actually been suggestions to reintroduce them at one reserve here, due to the increase in Otters keeping the Mink at bay. It`s only been talked about briefly so far but i`m keeping everything crossed

Mark H

[tigger]

Shirl. Great picture. You can't get much closer than that. We do have water voles in Dorset... but they are a lot harder to see.

I will have to try harder!

Jane

[shirl]

Originally Posted by tigger

Shirl. Great picture. You can't get much closer than that. We do have water voles in Dorset... but they are a lot harder to see.

I will have to try harder!

Jane

Hi Jane

Some don't like you walking past but others are so used to people watching them I am sure they really do pose for you. Never had one that close to my foot before mind you, though it was going to end up on the trainer!

Shirl

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Gosh Shirl it doesn't get much better than that. I'm off to see our local ones tomorrow. But the river has been very high and burst its banks in several places. The water voles didn't really re-establish themselves after last summers flood. I have my fingers crossed.
I can't get over how close you got, wonderful stuff.

BWD

[shirl]

Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger

Gosh Shirl it doesn't get much better than that. I'm off to see our local ones tomorrow. But the river has been very high and burst its banks in several places. The water voles didn't really re-establish themselves after last summers flood. I have my fingers crossed.
I can't get over how close you got, wonderful stuff.

BWD

Hope you spot some, certainly here they look as though they are getting ready for breeding, so you may just be lucky. Some of our vole population on the River Derwent were wiped out with the floods, but at least we do have the canal for them. Take that camera with you.

Shirl

[Kayleigh]

Mine has got to be the rat I had in my garden yesterday. Just managed to post two videos on the rat poison thread.

[Words]

Water vole! Good one Shirl.
I actually have a choice of two mammals from Thursday, but as I've previusoly posted a wood mouse, I'll go for this fine young vixen. She's generally very shy, but tolerated me in the garden for four minutes last night.

[mh68]

Nice shot Words, she looks in good condition

Mark H

[nutmeg]

That's a beautiful vixen, Words

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

My mammal of the day is a...................water vole. I saw my first one of the year, plus lots of tracks, droppings and burrows. The river is still high and flowing quickly but I'm so pleased that they are still surviving. Sorry no pictures.

BWD

[vole-woman]

Glad to hear the wv's are already out and about; I'll have to go check my local brook. Shirl, I just love the photo of yours where the vole's nose is peeping out of its burrow!

[shirl]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Glad to hear the wv's are already out and about; I'll have to go check my local brook. Shirl, I just love the photo of yours where the vole's nose is peeping out of its burrow!

It was rather gorgeous, and this was a pile of silt in the middle of the canal, didn't see any hole but then the "earth moved" and there it was. There are lots of feeding signs and very fresh latrines already so I think the survey year may just be starting early - fine by me!

Shirl

[Kayleigh]

We live near the Stoke Bruern canal Northants where apparently there are water voles. In summer the reeds a quite high so its hard to see the waterline where the voles are. I have never seen one in the flesh.

[Greenish]

My mammal of the day was a Grey Squirrel on the Bird-Feeder!
Bethany

[stripee]

I saw a little field vole running in and out of its hole. It felt like spring today

[Words]

Just one mammal put in an appearance today, but it happened to be the longest serving visitor, our old dog fox. He's been coming for three years now, and is totally at ease with the camera.

[mh68]

Very productive morning today, went down to visit one of my local haunts.
While walking past the corner of one of the fields, I noticed something scamper into the long grass. It was too far away to even have a clue what it was, the sighting was so brief. I`ve no idea why, but i decided to try squeaking just in case it was a Stoat or Weasel. Lo and behold, a few squeaks later a Stoat came bounding towards me at full belt from about 40yds away.That was just the start of it though, as on it`s way towards me , it spooked a Rabbit from the long grass which it then decided to chase.I was treated to the superb sight of watching the Rabbit do everything possible to evade the Stoat and below is a shot I managed of it jumping high into the air to evade capture



Not a brilliant pic as i wasnt that close to the action, but I was chuffed to get a momento of such a brilliant sight - the first time i`d seen a Stoat or Weasel chasing its potential prey.The Rabbit did actually get away, I think my presence deterred the Stoat from going too far into the open to chase the Rabbit, so it gave up after a few minutes. Another squeak brought the Stoat to within 10ft of me but it was gone before the camera`s focus could lock onto it.And that was it, excitement over.
Further down,though, I spotted a group of Roe Deer grazing in the corner of one of the areas of rough grassland.Luckily this time, I had a hedge to creep along towards them,shaded from the bright sun, so no soaked clothing this time
I wasnt sure how close I would get so as I inched closer I took a few shots every few yards.



I managed to get within around 25yds of them,taking loads of shots all the while, before they eventually moved away.The shot below was taken as close as I could get before I ran out of hedge



Luckily again,when they did move away, they eventually stopped after a short distance. I couldnt get closer this time as i`d have been in full sunlight away from the hedgerow, but I managed this last shot of the whole group.It was nice to see a group as opposed to the usual one or two,and having ran out of memory on my camera that was it for the day.Hope you like the pics



Mark H

[The Black Rabbit]

I certainly do!
Especially the Stoat and Rabbit.
GREAT STUFF pal!
Doug

[mh68]

Cheers Doug, i`m amazed that Rabbit/Stoat shot came out, my hands were shaking with the adrenaline of watching the whole thing

Mark H