Though they are to be found almost everywhere on the planet, Brown Rats prefer living in close proximity to Humans, as we unwittingly (usually!) provide them with an easy source of food and shelter. This one is gathering scraps from beneath a bird feeder, the owner of which was totally unaware that they were feeding more than just the birds.
This clip of a Fox was filmed on one of our cameras, which is being set up and monitored by Middlesbrough Councils countryside team. Richard sent me the video, and on viewing it, it was clear that the Fox is blind in it's left eye. It could have lost its sight in many ways, but it's clear from its conditionthat it's not finding life too difficult with only one eye.
A Roe Deer Doe with one Kid. Roe usually give birth to two Kids, but as this one has just one, it's twin has probably died. In their early stages of life, they remain well hidden, relying on camouflage to stay safe from predators such as Foxes and Badgers. The Doe will hide both Kids seperately, returning only to feed them, but at a few weeks old they will start to follow her around and at this stage are generally too large and agile for native predators to catch them, but many are killed ...
A bit more footage that was taken on the Northumberland Sea Cadet's pontoon on the river Tyne. About half way through the clip, it looks as though the otter has just finished eating something and rubs the grease off his paws onto the pontoon!
Tags: WildPlaces otters Derwenthaugh Tyne river wildlife filming
Although I initially set this camera up to capture footage of the elusive Ouseburn Otter (it spraints fairly regularly on the mound in the shot), it has been amazing to see how much other wildlife is around, and interested in this particular mound! I have got footage of many birds under this bridge, including robins, jays and starlings as well as the animals in this clip (and a few spiders and creepy crawlies!)
Tags: badgers heron wildlife wildplaces rats
This is a juvenile Brown Rat foraging along a rural beck. Though this one doesn't enter the water, they are extremely good swimmers, and can be found living almost anywhere. Even though young Rats are similar in size to Water Voles, they have prominent ears, a more pointed face and a virtually hairless tail.
This footage was filmed on one of Middlesbrough's becks, which are surely among the best places in the country for Water Vole watching. Though they are normally fairly sedate animals, notice their speed and aggression once the fight starts. Many people still confuse Water Voles with Rats, but compare the Voles in this video, with the juvenile Rat in the next, and you can see there are some obvious differences.
A clip of a Rainbow Trout feeding in a small urban beck. Although these fish look similar to our native Brown Trout, they are not native to Britain, but are bred and released into some rivers and lakes for angling. Some find their way into small becks where they can survive well, feeding on the abundance of invertebrates that are thriving in our increasingly cleaner water courses. (These fish also provide good food for the urban Otters!).
Red squirrels making the most of a bird feeder at Plessey Woods. Unfortunately these feeders have had to be taken down as grey squirrels have been spotted in the woods. The grey squirrels carry a virus called Squirrel Pox and although they are immune to it, they spread it to the reds, causing a pretty horrific death. By taking down the feeders, the rangers at Plessey Woods are hopefully minimising any potential contact between the reds and what is, hopefully, a rogue grey squirrel....
