Monday 30 May 2016

Moth Traps and Other Wildlife


Very surprised mustelid - juvenile stoat?


Brimstone moth 


 Poplar Hawk moth


 Muslin moth


Waved Umber


Pale Tussock


Buff Ermine

Saturday 28 May 2016

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Baby Vole, the Movie.


First Baby Vole of the Year






Baby water vole, Edgeley Road. The fur is darker than an adult, and the feet relatively larger.



 White Lion Meadow vole


Burrow at White Lion Meadow



 A White Lion Meadow vole that we've been watching for a while. It's blind in one eye and has a poorly foot, but seems to be holding its own.



Tuesday 17 May 2016

Struggling to Get Sightings, but the Voles are There



White Lion Meadow vole
 Common newt found under garden rubbish

 The ugliness of the baby coot

 Great Crested newt and friend


 Water vole feeding at Edgeley Road



 Kestrel at Edgeley Road

 The beginnings of a water vole latrine at Edgeley Road

 Reed bunting

 White Lion Meadow vole

Stunning pic of a water vole mum and its pup, taken by Steve Norris at the Sculthorpe Moor nature reserve. 

Sunday 8 May 2016

Further Afield

Timber yard vole



Above: feeding at Railwayman's Cottage. Below: feeding at the back of Wayland's Road






White Lion Meadow vole that's blind in one eye.



What look like water vole burrows at the edge of Wem Moss.

You can follow the Staggsbrook along from the timber yard behind Tesco, through White Lion Meadow car park and down Edward German Drive, then into Wayland Road and to Railwayman's Cottage (the bridge by Homebase), and see water vole signs all the way along. Mostly it's feeding and burrows - I'm not seeing many latrines so far this year - but there is clear activity right through. 

Meanwhile the Whitchurch Water Vole Group has surveyed the stretch of brook as it comes out on the other side of town, along Greenfields and into the nature reserve. Again, there were plenty of signs and even a sighting. So it's looking like a decent start to the year.

The burrows at the edge of Wem Moss were a surprise, though. I know there are plenty of colonies around Whixall, but this stream's black, acid and peaty and just doesn't look very inviting. It goes to show, water voles keep you on your toes!