Saturday, May 22, 2010

Travelling....

Off to Israel for a week tomorrow....back next Saturday...then off to Yorkshire for a week!!

Wildlife reading will include:
At The Water's Edge - John Lister-Kaye
A Last Wild Place - Mike Tomkies
The Mole - Kenneth Mellanby

I've spent the last few days trying to add Mole to my Bedfordshire Mammal List for this year. Earlier this week in one small area of Ampthill Park I tamped down all of the molehills and returned 24 hours later to find 43 new molehills!! Within the next hour I came across four separate working Moles throwing up spoilheaps but, try as I might, didn't manage to see the moles themselves. The Mole bulldozes the soil along the tunnel with one of its spade-like front feet so, every time I opened up the tunnel where a Mole was working, a big plug of soil arrived and closed it off a few minutes later! Kenneth's book was published right back in 1971, but it's very readable...and I'm hoping that it will go some way towards helping me see a few of these fascinating creatures...

....Watch this space!

3 comments:

  1. I am surrounded by mole hills - on my own land - but have never seen them in those places. I have found them though on many occasions just crossing the road! I thought that I was seeing things the first time I spotted one. I have picked quite a few up and transferred them to the field so that they wouldn't get run over. They have VERY powerful legs. Keep your eyes open when driving along quiet country lanes and you might drop lucky.

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  3. Thanks, Kerry,
    I remember managing to catch a mole once and trying to hold it by the scruff of the neck - those shoulder muscles/front shovels are incredibly powerful as you say.
    I've been for a few more night walks but not seen one yet, though I have seen a few dead ones at the side of the road. I've also seen dead ones at fox lairs in the past, too, so they're obviously around...I shall keep looking and hoping!!

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