Reptiles and water voles
by Ian Bushell
Another Wednesday morning work party; another good day and a good turn-out of Friends.
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Water Voles
There are three species of vole in Britain: the short-tailed or field vole, the bank vole and the water vole, which is the largest of the three and by far the rarest. Water voles (Arvicola amphibius) have experienced one of the most rapid and serious declines of any British wild mammal ever…
Continue reading “Water Voles”Water voles
Lambrok Stream is home to rare and protected water voles.
Flood Map
This is a screenshot taken from the Environment Agency’s Flood Map; it shows the risk of Lambrok Stream flooding. We have dropped a yellow marker at the place where the access road to the planned development of 180 houses (planning application 20/00379/OUT) is intended to cross the Lambrok.
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Water Voles
We have received reports of water voles in the Lambrok by the footbridge into Lambrok Close. This is very, very good news.
Here is a video to help you tell water voles from brown rats; please keep us informed of any more sightings.
Ten water vole facts
Here are some fascinating facts about water voles:
Continue reading “Ten water vole facts”Surviving the floodwaters
We have just endured a spell of exceptionally wet weather that has been hard work for both people and wildlife.
Continue reading “Surviving the floodwaters”Water voles
If you regularly walk near the Lambrok or any of its tributary streams, keep a lookout for water voles. They are an important protected species and any planned development along the stream will need to take their presence into account.
Continue reading “Water voles”Planning for our water voles
At last! Wiltshire Council has added the requirement that the WHSAP sites bordering Lambrok Stream at Church Lane (H2.4), Upper Studley (H2.5) and Southwick Court (H2.6), should be treated as a single ecological unit.
Continue reading “Planning for our water voles”New research on water voles
Water voles and their burrows are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act but Natural England can grant developers a licence that permits disturbance. In fact disturbance is the very name of the game; the licence allows vegetation to be removed from up to 50 metres of bank in order to drive water voles from areas where development is planned.
Continue reading “New research on water voles”Water Voles
There are three species of vole in Britain: the short-tailed or field vole, the bank vole and the water vole, which is the largest of the three and by far the rarest. Water voles (Arvicola amphibius) have experienced one of the most rapid and serious declines of any British wild mammal ever…
Continue reading “Water Voles”Protecting the Lambrok
In May of 2017, water voles (Arvicola amphibius) were identified by Wiltshire’s Countryside Team as resident in Lambrok Stream. Water voles are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. They are protected against:
. . .intentional killing, capture or injury and intentional or reckless disturbance, obstruction, damage or destruction of their burrows.
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