Water Vole 56 crop

  Water vole   Arvicola terrestris  (D)

Cromford, Derbyshire.  A still cold December Day with frost on the ground found ratty warming up in a canal pipe..  I'm quite sure I felt colder than this water vole during the wait to get the picture.  600mm + 1.4x, 250ASA, F5.6, 1/15th sec, fill in flash.

Water Vole 52

Water Vole 31 crop

Water Vole 45

Water Vole 23

Water Vole 27 crop

Water Vole 38

Too many people prefer to theorize that the mink is responsible for their demise, yet there is little proof of this.  Herons, however, have been seen taking voles, and so have cats.  What is being learnt is that water voles do well in close proximity to people.  Where there are people who no longer persecute them (they look like rats) they are now doing well.  Add together the reintroduction (but still persecuted by man) of the otter to many part of Britain, which will displace the mink, the future is already looking good for "ratty".

Water Vole 11 fighting crop

Photographing water voles in the wild is never easy as they are nervous as well as quick and good at underwater diving.  You must sit still and patiently if you are to get a close encounter with them.   The canal in Nottingham and Bradford upon Avon, as well as the Llanelli WWT reserve in Wales are 3 places I know where they are quite tame.