Wildlife Photography across the Water: Water Voles

Monday 18 April 2011

Water Voles

I spent an interesting day partly at Brandon Marsh and partly at a site in Warwickshire on a Water Vole Surveying course. (Thanks Tim, it was a great day)

Water Voles have been a target species for me for a while, but as with a number of potential projects, I haven't done anything about it due to time constraints until now.

Now knowing very little about these delightful and rapidly declining animals, Jac and I booked on a course for surveying them.

The great thing about doing little courses like this is that you find out so much about your subject, their habits, habitat and critically how to find out where they live.

After spending a few hours in the class room doing the theory stuff we went to the field site and saw two.

I managed a quick handheld grab shot that is really very poor and a big crop, but at least it helps to identify the creature positively.

All we have to do know is find some more nearer home, and be patient.

I can recommend courses like these though - check out your nearest Wildlife Trust for details.

Martin

2 comments:

Ritchie18 April 2011 at 09:43
Hi all,

The water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat through Europe and much of northern Asia. They have rounder noses than rats, deep brown fur, chubby faces and short fuzzy ears, unlike rats their tails, paws and ears are covered with hair. Thanks a lot!

Wildlife Photography
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Kate18 April 2011 at 10:14
Any shot of a water vole's good! And it's hard to capture them swimming, so well done.
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.