Unusual Creature

Saw my first Bank Vole a couple of days ago, in my garden; at least that's what I think it is? About 6 inches long (plus tail) looks like a large mouse and long thin smooth tail. For about half an hour it was constantly collecting up all the bread put out for the birds, eating some, but mostly carrying it back to a nest I suppose. It cleared quite a bit of bread, large family perhaps? Also seemed interested in insects on the plants.

I assume this is a good creature to have in the garden, unfortunately the nest is not in my garden and not visible from anywhere. As I live in a fairly built-up area I didn't expect to see them.

Any advice, comments?

 

Great to see such things in your own garden. I often see water voles on my walk to the river, or rather hear a 'plop' and ripples....

 

Thanks for replies, yes Liz in my own garden and I have been here 38 years!

MF thanks for that link, good website and very interesting, must admit though I am more confused than ever. The size is right, the colour close, the head ok, but the tail is about as long as the body! Also, it bounds along!!!

Since I had about half an hour for this performance I dashed in to get camera, but it only has 3X zoom digital, so from about 15 feet(close as I could get) apologize for crap photos, this is all I can offer as info:

 

Sorry Dag - how can I say this nicely? :rolleyes:
I don't think that it is a vole. We have three - the bank vole, the short-tailed vole and the water vole. It could only be the bank vole and that has a reddish brown coat. Your chap looks grey in the photos and I may be wrong, but I reckon its a rat. :(

 

i planted pea pods and nicotina down one side of allotment against a fence and it looks like theres been a mini earthquake where resident vole has been busy.the plants have been pushed out but not touched.no sooner did i push them all back in and they were out again!sorry to say but i think you have a long tail DAG. :(

 

Thanks for that Hornbeam, I was afraid somebody would say that!

Is that all bad news then? Should I take any action?

 

elainefiz: Sorry just missed your post, Oh dear I guess that confirms it then! :eek:

 

I wouldn't take any action other than to make sure your refuse bin is secure. Rats are everywhere and do no more damage than grey squirrels

 

Thanks for replies everybody, don't think Mrs.DAG will be putting any more bread out for the birds? :eek:

 

They are back again, yes 2 of them this time! No bread so what are they after? Well they might be rats but they are still gods creatures (well at least I am trying to see it that way) just as long as they don't come indoors!!!

Must admit its been quite entertaining watching them go about there business, the smaller one is eating bits of grain fallen down from a bird feeder, the larger one (which came yesterday and pictured below) is picking up bits of earth like pieces that are part of the garden mulch and carrying them off in his mouth!

As they were more under cover this time, I think they were a bit more relaxed, and I managed to take these pics. while they were in the shade of a ceanothus tree from about 6 feet away sitting in a chair. The flash never bothered them at all!

The most entertaining thing was watching a magpie trying to chase them off! Well there is a use for magpies after all? :D





Although we certainly don't intend to encourage them in anyway,(and can't see how we can discourage them) and providing there is not too many of them, perhaps we should not hate them, anybody?..................

 

Seems like a breeding pair Dag soon you'll here the patter of tiny feet.........Thats not good, rats everywhere.KILL.....

 

Not the sort of wildlife I would want in my garden. I'm with roders on this one!

 

Rats are everywhere that people live. :eek: You are never more than a few feet away from a rat. They are in the drains and sewers. Yes you can put warfarin down like I did once - only thing was that it killed our cat. It gives them anaemia by thinning the blood and mushing their internal organs.

We never put bread or any other food on the lawn. Make sure they can't get in the house through cat flaps or broken air bricks. Much more serious are grey squirels that get in your roof space. My neighbour had squirrels come in to the loft where they stripped the insulation from electric cables. Big bang, cooked squirrel and a short circuit. Very lucky not to have started a roof fire. :eek:

 

The damage squirrels did here cost �£2000,Rat urine killed my dog,both problems were dealt with very swiftly.... A .22 with a licence for vermin.