Running alongside Ock Street, the River Ock has two branches.
Between them lies a favorite walk of locals. It runs from St Helen’s Court in the town centre to Drayton Road.
The path is out of site of the houses because of the cover of trees. There are crack willows beside the water, and Abingdon Green Gym have planted new trees in an area between the main path and a smaller path following the upper river.
It is a place of natural beauty where wildlife can be seen. On Sunday we saw by chance a heron in action. Normally we just see herons standing waiting in the water, but this one was going for the kill.
It caught what I fear was a water vole. An expert might know better.
The heron then fought and dunked its victim repeatedly in the water. I hope it was a rat, but I fear it was a water vole.
Great pictures – good headline, too!
This is a great image! It is a hapless rat. Water voles are at the bottom of the food chain and so are an important part of the food-web. Predation by herons is not a threat to their existence, but loss of habitat is. I note that the sides of the stream are bare with no ground cover in places. Water voles need an uncut margin of vegetation, ideally 2 metres wide on either side of the stream, to give them food and cover from their many predators. Management advice is contained in my blog: http://nearbywild.org.uk/how-to-save-water-vole-neighbourly-guide/ Best wishes, Jo
As above, superb post.
Wow, and I thought it was on humans and mink that had a negative impact upon the local population, thanks for sharing
Odds on that’s a rat, rats tails are hairless and about the same length as its body whereas a water voles tail is half its body length and covered in hair,
It’s not a rat. It’s a hamster
Gordon the Gopher?
Illegal fishing. And I bet it’s a foreign heron to boot.
BF – Looks like it’s bare footed to me.
Well it’s certainly not white.
I am comforted by the comment on the bare tail being a rat .Didn’t want it to be a water vole. Although that might show that they (water voles) inhabit this area.
Fantastic photos. A heron used to visit our pond every morning for it’s breakfast before there was any netting over it.
Unfortunately he still visits my pond – my poor little goldfish 🙁