THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

10 May 2013

WHO LIVES IN A HOLE LIKE THIS?


Whilst spreading the bird porridge on the top of the wall that runs up to the kitchen, close to the window, I have noticed this hole and assumed it was abandoned and unused. Today I was proved wrong as I stood waiting for the kettle to boil. Who should appear but a little Bank Vole. Mainly nocturnal, a lump of seedy porridge plonked on it's doorstep was obviously too much to resist. It shot back into the hole often, but was soon out again, snuffling about and eating seeds.  Why should I be so enchanted by a vole yet horrified at the mousy scratchings from the attic? Ridiculous really. Here it is. Full zoom through the not so clean window I'm afraid:









 The bird feeding station was busy today:


Great Tit


Magpie


Dunnock



Blue Tit
 

Nice try Woody....I can see you


What a grim day. Trigger is back in his rug after finding him shivering two mornings ago. The wind has dropped a bit today at least but the rain is hacking down and the sunshine a distant memory. Yesterday, I opened the boot of the car to get the hay and food out and the two black bin backs we use for plastic food container recycling flew out and into a nearby hawthorn tree. They are still there and, when the wind drops completely, I'm going to have to try and retrieve them. Not a great look as the guests from the Michelin starred Gidleigh Park Hotel cross the cattle grid on their prescribed moorland tourist trek. The weekend is here; I hope you all have a lovely one. Until next time.....here's that lovely Woodpecker again. 


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22 comments:

  1. The Three Muleteers10 May 2013 at 20:42

    Wonderful pictures! That bank vole looks like it was worth getting out of bed for :) Have a nice weekend!

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  2. angryparsnip10 May 2013 at 21:25

    ack ! lovelovelovelovelove the vole. And you are enchanted as I am because he is outside in his perfect little home and not eating the wires in your home like the mice !
    You are so lucky to have seen him. I am quite envious.

    cheers, parsnip

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  3. Em Parkinson10 May 2013 at 22:08

    The3M's - I'll be keeping an eye out from now on; perhaps even leaving a few vole seeds out?

    Parsnip - You're absolutely right. Not in the house thank you. It was pure fluke that I was looking out at the right time.

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  4. Caroline Gill10 May 2013 at 22:28

    What a delightful vole, Em! I thought you would like this vole post from Juliet aka Crafty Green Poet.

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  5. ann @ studiohyde10 May 2013 at 22:32

    What an adorable little vole, you got some great photos considering they move so quickly. Hope you rescue those bins!

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  6. Morning's Minion11 May 2013 at 03:23

    The bank vole's burrow looks very like the ones that are riddling our lawn and lower gardens--I suspect we may have both voles and moles in residence. My outdoor cats are very intrigued with the movements of these subterranean creatures.

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  7. Ragged Robin11 May 2013 at 12:15

    Great news on the bank vole - super photos considering how fast they can move. Love the Great Spotted Woody shots too :) Hope weather improves for you soon. Gone cooler and rainier here in last few days :(

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  8. ~Kim at Golden Pines~11 May 2013 at 15:15

    What fun photos of the the birds, and especially the bank vole--Of course I've never seen one, but of course we have voles, but they can be pretty elusive.

    Rainy and chilly here too--I'm wondering if it will ever be warm?

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  9. Wendy11 May 2013 at 15:26

    Beautiful photos. I love the little bank vole; it's very cute. And it's cold and grey here, too; it really is hard to believe we had all that glorious weather just a few days ago.

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  10. ShySongbird11 May 2013 at 17:46

    What a little sweetie the vole is! Love the Great Tit photo and the GSW too. Heavy rain showers most of the day here!

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  11. rusty duck11 May 2013 at 19:23

    Isn't it funny how the woodpeckers try and hide on the far side of the pole or tree trunk? Love the vole pics too!

    Could it be that I have actually walked past your house? We stayed at Gidleigh (one night, out of season, on an offer, long before buying the money pit..) and went on that trek..

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  12. Em Parkinson11 May 2013 at 19:25

    Caroline - thank you - I'll go and have a look...

    Ann - No sign of it today; I think I just got very lucky yesterday. Hope you're enjoying your break!

    MM - Snippet knows there's something going on up on the wall but it's too high for him to see properly. He's killed a vole before so I'm being vigilant.

    RR - it was lovely while it lasted wasn't it? I wonder when we'll see it again. The wind here today is ferocious again. Sigh...

    Kim - I feel very privileged to have seen it as they're very elusive here too!

    Wendy - I can barely remember it....my hands were so cold this morning in the wind that I took my thick winter gloves tonight.....much better!

    Shy SB - Funnily enough, the rain hasn't been too heavy here today - just very windy. It's a miracle!

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  13. Em Parkinson11 May 2013 at 19:29

    Sorry Jess - we must have crossed in cyber space there! Yes - you will have passed the bottom of the drive just over a little bridge as you leave the road....unless you walked up to Kestor rocks and down to the corner. If you did that you would have missed us but passed close to Trigger's old field. Goodness I miss him being up here. It's only just down the road but it's taking up well over an hour of my time every day guarding his food from the madams!

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  14. rusty duck12 May 2013 at 10:36

    Kestor Rocks rings a bell. We walked through the Gidleigh gardens, and then through some woods and out on to the moor. I must dig out the route map they gave us. Although I remember getting lost a bit, so it could have been anywhere! Wherever we ended up, it was a beautiful walk.

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  15. Elizabeth12 May 2013 at 11:33

    The first time I've seen a vole in Blogworld, I think!
    Such super closeup photos!

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  16. Anonymous12 May 2013 at 15:34

    Love the pics of the vole Em! It is indeed bloomin cold again. Was that it for summer d'you think??

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  17. Gail H. Ragsdale12 May 2013 at 18:44

    Wonderful photos! The vole looks similar to what we have here. The Great Tit is wonderful as is the Magpie. We don't have Magpie's in our part of the country, they are out west. I used to love seeing them when we lived in California.

    Weather has been rotten here up until today which is sunny if not a bit cold with the wind blowing. We could go without rain for 3 months and still have a surplus according to the weatherman!

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  18. Em Parkinson12 May 2013 at 19:13

    Rusty D - Yes - that sounds like it but you'd need to have followed the road till it finished to have come to us. You probably saw the house from the hill....there aren't many around!

    Elizabeth - I never expected to be able to photograph one alive!

    CT - I fear you may be right. It was four degrees two mornings ago and only seven today.

    Gail - What a shame about the magpies not being around near you, although many people in this country absolutely hate them, my mum included! I don't have a problem with them myself.

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  19. Goosey13 May 2013 at 12:30

    Lovely blog, lovely pictures, I have just found you!

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  20. Em Parkinson13 May 2013 at 13:51

    Thanks Goosey - I like yours too!

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  21. HappyK13 May 2013 at 20:29

    What great pictures. Love the vole series of photos.

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  22. Em Parkinson13 May 2013 at 21:31

    Thank you - lovely to hear from you. Am off to see your blogs now!

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