Water Voles, Otters and Polecat

Before my better half went to India, I loaned her one of my cameras. However more importantly, I gave her the largest of my memory cards. Thus yesterday when out trying to observe water voles, I did not even have a memory card in the camera with me. All my own fault, but it meant that I could not take any pictures.

With all the snow and rain over the last couple of months, the Derwent has been flowing high and swift. The holes in the bank that the Water Voles normally use are underwater and hence unused. As the voles are used to this they translocate themselves to other shelter. It was these winter holes that I was trying to locate. I had stumbled upon signs of Water Vole activity via the laying snow. Further while looking for the voles I spotted a reed that was defying the flow of the river. I realised that it was some mammal swimming with it grasped in its mouth, but I did not have a clear view of the Vole. For I knew that it would be a vole.

The location is a place on the bank that is difficult for humans to get to or even near, thus they are free from disturbance. Well I made the effort to get as close as I safely could and waited to observe any activity. I will not describe the waiting, but cold and wet will describe my state. While I was not able to get any pictures I did see the voles. Although I heard them more than saw them.

While I was sitting huddled in my cover, I had my attention grabbed by a sharp whistle call. It sounded like a bird. But my memory was telling me that it was not a bird. As I heard the call repeat, excitement filled me but I could not see what was making the call. I had to move if I wanted to see if I was correct, but I would have to move slowly and carefully. I did not want to disturb the Water Voles nor did I want to disturb the other Mammal that was calling from near by.

More by luck than judgement, the breeze was in my favour, if the Otter was where I thought it was, but it was sound that was my greatest enemy now. I had to crawl over rocks and mud to get to a point where I could see where the sound had been coming from. As it took time I really was just expecting to see nothing. Then I saw signs of an otter in the water. Just the head, and under it went. It was less than a second of sighting.

I assumed that it was the otter that had been calling that I had seen. I scanned carefully, dark brown fur against brown rocks makes spotting a shy and elusive creature difficult at the best of times, and I was not in a good position still. Further crawling, and I crested the small mound. I knew I was close as I could smell the Otter, but I just could not see it.

I waited quietly, and every movement I saw appeared to be a false signal. I was just about ready to give up, when from behind some mud covered rocks came three Otters. A mother and two well grown cubs, about eleven months old. It was for only 45-50 seconds that I was able to see them make their way back to the river and disappear into the flow, but I was the happiest mouse on the planet at that point.

Then today as I sat at the computer ready to write this posting, and booting up the computer, I saw a Polecat enter my back yard. As my long suffering reader knows my office (back bedroom) overlooks the yard. I really wanted to get a picture of it, but sitting on my desk was the memory card from the camera and the camera was down stairs.

However I was able to spend a reasonable amount of time observing this rapidly darting creature to see that it was not a pure Polecat but a Ferret polecat, one that has resulted from breeding a wild polecat with a domestic Ferret. Therefore, while there will be folks that will say that I have not really seen a Polecat, it shows that there are Polecats in the area.

Well I am pleased to have seen it anyway.