General Vole Questions-
We have several vole experts so I hope to venture a couple of questions
although no birds are involved other than to eat them..
My place appears to have extensive underground burrows in a large
ornamental garden area. Usually about 6-10" down and 'everywhere'. In
planting a plant I often encounter an underground burrow. If I ignore it
and plant a small plant there, (perhaps caving in the burrow) it is pushed
back up out of the soil (to reopen the burrow?) or eaten to boot in short
order. But I still have tons of small plants which are not disturbed.
Although there are voles galore, I never see any piled up dirt as with a
gopher (which we have) or a pushed up near-surface tunnel as with a mole
(which we have). What happens to the dirt once filling the current
tunnel? Very occasionally I see a vole pop out of a hole, open at the
surface, grab a plant leaf (they love hebes, from Australia) and then duck
back down to eat it. Then repeat. And repeat. I assume they are mostly
nocturnal, at least for above ground activities? But they must come up by
day to be eaten by Kestrels and other hawks? And at night for owls? I
guess they do not hibernate?
These are not Mountain Beavers; we have them also but they stick to more
natural, wooded areas. We planted several acres in Douglas Fir saplings 30
years ago, all eaten in pretty short order by these aplodontia. Before we
knew about the little net bags although I don't know if they work for
aplodintia. Rarely we see them running along their own tunnels in the
fir/'maple woods, occasionally through open sections.
Thanks for any enlightenment.
Bob OBrien Carver, Oregon (AKA Volehalla')
On Sun, Apr 12, 2020 at 9:37 PM Dan Gleason <dan-gleason@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I believe it is a Gray-tailed Vole. This vole is endemic to the Willamette
Valley where it was once common in prarie habitats. As these habitats
disappeared, the voles adapted well to our agricultural fields and are
still very common.. Townsend’s vole is large and usually browner.
The voles iin the Willamette Valley are:
Townsend’s Vole *Microtus townsendi*
California Vole *Microtus californicu*s
Gray-tailed vole *Microtus canidaudus*
Red Tree Vole *Phenacomys longicaudus*
The first three are field voles. The Red Tree Vole lives, as its name
implies, in trees, mostly Douglas-fir, and rarely comes to the ground. It
is much more common in our coastal forests.
Dan Gleason
Owner, Wild Birds Unlimited of Eugene
Ornithology Instructor, retired, University of Oregon
dan-gleason@xxxxxxxxxxx
On Apr 12, 2020, at 3:25 PM, Pamela Johnston <shovzan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It's a vole, but don't ask me to identify the species. You can be pretty
sure that if you see a Kestrel on a post by a field, holding a small mammal
with a tail shorter than its legs, that's a vole.
Pamela Johnston
On Sun, Apr 12, 2020, 2:59 PM Linda Gilbert <oregonjunco@xxxxxxx> wrote:
I know this is not a perfect photo but can anyone ID to species this
small mammal, presumably some type of vole? I'd also like any information
specific to the southern Willamette Valley about what voles and other small
mammals are generally found in prairie habitat. I've been doing e-bird
lists for a Eugene park (Rasor Park) that is doing prairie restoration and
am curious about what is there. The 10 acre park has had an actively
hunting kestrel and red-shouldered hawk as well as a red-tail that has been
seen circling the park and perching in its trees.
Linda Gilbert
Eugene
