The cricetidae family.

Part one the Bank vole.

After the wood mouse the bank vole is probably the most abundant of Britain`s small rodents. It is more likely to be seen during daylight than the wood mouse, and tends to run and scurry rather than move in leaps and bounds. Although it may sometimes be found in long grass, wet places or on mountain sides, the bank vole much prefers to live where there is dense cover. It is rarely seen far from bramble thickets, hedgerows and other woody scrub, and is also common in country gardens. Each bank vole occupies a home range, and does not normally venture more than fifty five yards from its nest. Males generally range more widely than females. In mild years when there is plenty of food available, bank voles may begin breeding early and continue well into late Autumn. A vole born early in the year may its self be raising a family within a few weeks, so the population builds up quickly. There may be four or five litters, each with four or five babies between April and September. The nest is sometimes above ground, perhaps in a tree crevice but is more often found underground in Chambers that are reached by tunnels. Hazel nuts are their preferred food, the sharp toothed bank vole gnaws a whole in the shell and takes out the kernel in small pieces, but they will also eat berries, seeds, fruit, green plants and fungi. They will either store their food underground or find somewhere safe to eat it. But fewer than half of those born survive after the first few months. After the voles leave the nest at about eighteen days, young voles are preyed on by weasels and may die during cold wet weather. The more robust of voles may live for eighteen months. Bank voles live in the whole of England, Scotland and Wales and have only been found in Ireland since 1964. The bank vole can be distinguished from a mouse by its chubby appearance, blunt nose, small eyes and ears and short, furry tail. Adults have a glossy, chestnut-brown coat that may shade to grey on its belly. Their body is about three and a half inches long with a two and a half inch tail, and they have a redder coat and more prominent ears  than their cousin the field vole. Only about one ounce in weight, a bank vole can climb delicately amomg bramble stems and balance on a side shooy as it reaches out for a berry.

Starlings.

The Autumnal displays of starlings are one of the worlds most wonderful natural displays. At this time of year they put in an amazing display as they come together to roost. Watching their thriving numbers, it looks like we have a thriving British population. But a lot of these birds are migrants that find food over here during winter. These displays are hiding a worrying truth, the fact that British starlings are actually disappearing. Back in the 80`s the British population of starling was around twenty million, they were even considered a pest by some people, but they thrived in our cities and villages. Surveys have shown that our starling population has actually dropped by 80%. So what is causing this alarming decline in one of our most iconic of birds? Researchers are trying whats going on, like most animals the starling first year is quite a hard one. When they fledge they have to survive without the help of the parent birds, this happens after about four weeks. They join flocks of other starlings, this provides protection for them from other predators. They mainly feed on grass lands, they probe the soil for invertebrates with their strong beaks. But its surprisingly difficult for these young birds, taking time to learn how to get their food from the ground and to learn the correct technique. Its also thought the way me manage our grasslands could be a problem. Improved drainage means their is less moisture in the top soil, soil compaction also means that the surface is harder for them when they are probing. Turning from permanent pasture to quick growing grass species means less exposed grass areas. One of these or also a combination of all means that the starlings are finding it harder to find, probe and eat the food. When Autumn descends the pressure is really on as the migrants start to arrive, coming in from mainland Europe. Our young starlings will then have to compete with all of the migrants, which are more experienced at finding the food than our fledgelings.  So its likely that some of this will explain why there is a fifty% reduction in their survival rates in young starlings in the last forty years. The r.s.p.b are starting to research the starlings and their complex food and lifestyle issues, which is good news. Farmers are more efficent in taking away straw etc from their fields and removing some of the leather jackets(young crane fly). Let me know if you see any starlings in your garden,