Water Vole Island

Okay, okay... I know I have been a bit slow on posts lately, but it's a busy time when half the team are in training and we are trying to get everything ready for Easter half term. All while looking after school groups and photographers... feel sorry for us yet?.. No me neither, it's a great life.

Anyway, a lot of you have been enquiring about the lack of activity on here over the past week or two, none more so than a Mrs Chris Groves!.. I normally wouldn't bow to pressure, but I just like my cake too much and can't risk this line of supply.

So here you go... this post is dedicated to Lucy's mummy, Chris Groves, baker of the finest cakes I have ever had the pleasure of tasting (although the memory is fading, we haven't had one for at least a few weeks now Chris!)

As with every year, we have had a little tidy of our water vole island before the Easter half term. We didn't go for a full clean this year as a lot of it is so well established, and we didn't want to risk the balance. We will have another look at this next year.

We have however thinned out the weed in the water, and replanted/freshened up the rush around the edges of the island while re-supporting the tile tubes for holes that were beginning to weaken and sink.

As with every year, we have also replaced the vole family on the island for a fresh set which we hope will be a good display once they have settled in. You will have to be patient to see them, but it will be worth it when you do... they are amazing little animals, and always a pleasure to watch. I often spend an evening in the summer sat at the side of the pond eating my dinner and watching them when no one else is around.

While waiting to see them, keep your eyes open for the frogs. They bred really well last year, and so we have many of all sizes out there, as well as tadpoles already for this year. Of course, the sticklebacks are still in there too as well as many other invertebrates.

In other good, no GREAT news, our water voles on the reserve have been spotted on many occasions already this year. I was a bit concerned with the flooding over the turn of the year, but it seems they new what they were doing to keep safe, and have been spotted out and about more often than usual. Keep your eyes open down there when you are next here, and to see some photos head over to our flickr group! They are doing so well in fact that we may be able to look at releasing voles further down the waterway this year, and really begin to push them through the whole reserve.