The ‘car park’ was really a glorified field and everywhere you looked there were these large patches of flattened-out soil. This could only mean one thing - Molehills.
Well, I had always joked to my parents that I’d like to sit over a mole hill, wait ‘til the little critter made an appearance then go ‘BOO!’ just to see what the reaction was (yeah, juvenile but that’s just how my sense of humour is sometimes). Never in a million years did I actually expect to get the opportunity to do it! **
We walked the first half of the Arboretum and then went back to the car for lunch. I was sitting eating my sandwiches when out of the corner of my eye, one of the aforementioned patches of dirt started to move…
OK, I’m gonna give you a spoiler, the mole realised that it was still daylight and the place was heaving with people and dogs so he never did pop his nose out, but I – being the nerd that I am – sat there for a good 45 minutes just watching this mole do its thing, camera in hand (I had the camera, not the mole – now that really would have been something to see! Haha). Obviously I wouldn’t make you sit here for 45 minutes to watch a small mammal renovate its home so I speeded it up a little. The mound of earth actually got quite a bit bigger than this but the video is a bit shaky as my arm started to ache so you just have the first segment here:
I am a mole and I live in a hole.... from Gaina on Vimeo.
Quite a few people stopped to see what the hell I was up to but I was surprised and more than a little saddened at the number of parents who wouldn’t let their kids stop a while and watch this little wonder of nature unfolding. This is exactly the type of thing kids should be encouraged to witness to make them care about our environment, I think.
Anyway, the light started going and we had to leave so I reluctantly turned off my camera and we carefully drove away, Dad inching around the hill so as not to undo all of the little dude’s hard work.
This planet never ceases to amaze me.
** Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I would never harm, harass or otherwise disconcert any of my fellow creatures AND NEITHER MUST YOU!
8 comments:
I admire your patience, the mark of a true wildlife photographer
In the winter, the moles go through the snow, underneath it, and they make these little tube-like tracks. Hayley loves to follow them, nose to the ground; it's funny because there will be trails from multiple moles, snaking all over the yard so she is spinning around in circles; when Terra discovers this I imagine the 2 dogs spinning around, bumping into each other
And no, Hayley has never caught a mole and being a border collie, she would probabl just herd it back into it's hole anyway
Thanks Victor, I could just happily sit all day and watch wildlife. Not many other things I have that level of patience for :).
'Hayley has never caught a mole and being a border collie, she would probabl just herd it back into it's hole anyway'.
ROFL, Mole Herding could be a new event at the County Fair!
Brilliant. Moles are the un sung stars of the under world. Tawny owls have better patience than any of us, as they just wait for Mole heads to pop up at night. Seriously its a great video. I'm doing Rats at the mo, well taking pictures of them, and showing the public wild Rats. Rats are great, if you understand their natrual history then you respect them. If you respect them then you can not be scared of them. Works well with Hornets as well.
Lets have more of you doing wildlife vids.
BFN.
Yessir! More wildlife Vids coming up! **salutes** Haha
I love rats. My friend runs a Rat Rescue from her home in Norfolk and she's taught me so much about them.
I'm looking forward to going to Slimbridge and Ham Wall over the Winter as personall I think from now til March is the most interesting time of the year with winter visitors and wotnot.
Thanks for the comment and the compliments on my video! G :)
I wish the little guy would have peeked out! You are right, too many people have no appreciation for nature and have never sat still long enough to watch (and learn) from it. Sad.
Thanks for visiting Bunny Sunday today!
Hi Cowgirl :). I think I'll have to go out a little later to catch them pootling about for a midnight snack...but I might just do it, so stay tuned.
Come to think of it, I'm even sure if they hibernate....**scratches head**
Ahhhhh....what a cute little video!! I love seeing that dirt pop up (and a very cute title too--it would make a lovely children's book!). I love rats as well. When I was in college (ages ago--boo!) I had a pet rat. He was very smart. I rescued him from a lab--yikes! I rescued a bunch of mice too--they are darn cute.
Hi Kelly, thanks for stopping by :).
You've never heard the song 'I am a mole'? That's where I got the title of the vid from :).
My previous dog and the cat I have now were both rescues....well the cat just kinda turned up in my garden one day looking pathetic and skinny - we fed him sliced ham and that was it. He's now 10, impossibly handsome and very, very spoiled :).
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