water voles

[wafflycat]

One of most endangered mammals. Used to have water voles living in the banks of the stream at the bottom of the garden. It was a lovely sight to be sitting in the garden, doing a bit of stream watching & see 'Ratty' swimming along.

Then we got mink.

Very quickly no water voles, indeed no anything in the stream. The minks cleaned the stream of anything living. Set up some traps.

This was a couple of years ago.

Just been out in the garden, wandered over to the stream.

There he was: Ratty

We have water voles again! Hurrah!!!

It's made my day

 

[Fnaar]

Good stuff. When I was 6, I had a painting of some water voles on exhibition in a national kids' painting competition.

 

[wafflycat]

I am incredibly chuffed they are back. Never had any problem with the cats being predators of the water voles: they prefer smaller prey. But as soon as the mink arrived, the stream literally died of other life. No more water voles, no more sticklebacks, the number of frogs & toads dropped noticeably. The stream was effectively dead, even though the water is clean and well oxygenated. This Spring saw a definite improvement in biodiversity, with life coming back. After seeing tadpoles, sticklebacks & young trout again, I was hoping and hoping that water voles might return. I am *thrilled* they are back.

 

[Globalti]

Are you wearing the mink now?

 

[wafflycat]

Are you wearing the mink now?

*chortle* No.

In real life, they are stunningly beautiful creatures to look at. The litter that was in my stream were descendents of mink farm escapees - one was a pure jet black. It was *gorgeous* But they are imported killers that devastate local wildlife. They literally cleaned the stream out. Shame really