Naomi - our most esteemed and knowledgeable plant recorder, (AKA Angelica in blog-land), was treated to amazing views of one of our most common mammals whilst out botanizing last week. The wood mouse is largely nocturnal and not normally so cocksure as to provide fellow mammalians with such prime photo opportunities as this.
The confident mouse was apt reward for Naomi for her sterling work painstakingly finding and logging the great diversity of plant life the reserves boast and advising us on how best to manage the the reserves for its rarest and most precious flora. I have been fortunate enough to encounter unnaturally bold mini-mammals twice in my years on Weymouth Wetlands. The first was a water shrew, which was so engrossed in gorging on a grub that it was utterly oblivious to my camera phone and me. The second was young water vole that was equally unconcerned - to the point that if it avoided becoming lunch that day I'd be nothing short of flabbergasted.
Currently, there is a bold water vole near to Radipole's 'locked gate bridge' offering excellent prolonged views. Always worth a look and listen and you may just be treated - but if not there will surely be something around the next corner to compensate!
Happy Easter to y'all.
Thank you Amber. Locked gate bridge is over the western branch of The Wey on the way to North.Hide. that said old reliable wasn't all reliable last week. There are loads of water voles on Radders though... Just need a little luck and patience.
www.rspb.org.uk/.../tracking-ratty-and-life-in-the-undergrowth.aspx