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phillip,that is a brilliant piece of information that I had never heard of.
On the Estate where I go ,beating and working,we often see kestrels hovering for ages during the day,they then dive down to the ground as if they have caught something but have not and then continue hovering?

No Les40 they are water voles as in "ratty" in the "Tales of the river bank"
Water voles look like a small rat with a snub nose,they are increasingly rare,although we do see the occasional one on the estate.
The voles that kestrels catch are just like field mice.

I think it's very interesting too, Phillip, though at first I thought you were extracting the Michael. Wonder why evolution hasn't worked to get rid of the fluoresence?Anyone willing to wield a chainsaw/shoot deer is welcome to visit my wood and have steak and jackets cooked on/in an open fire.

I've been lucky in some ways, Les. Good on you for getting some qualifications, hope you do well

Les40, you're probably thinking of water voles (ratty in wind in the willows like). these have been largely wiped out in most areas - by mink. either escaped ones or released by so called animal lovers. again this is interesting. in their natural habitat (canada for instance) food is scarce. so if the mink finds a source it will kill all it can and hide it to eat later. it does the same here. it will kill everything it can. moorhens on rivers have also suffered. but there are squillions of different sorts of vole and just as many wild mice types. domestic cats kill literally millions every year.

Tony, are you sure the kestrels didn't catch anything, because they eat insects which don't take much eating and don't contain many calories?

No,I am not sure,they seem to hover for ages ,dive down to the ground, and continue hovering.So perhaps they have found something?
This only normally happens in the early part of the year ie;jan and feb.

Phillip- I so agree about "so-called" animal lovers. Some of them broke into the Research facility at a local hospital and released the rabbits and the ferrets at the same time!! (last 4 words underlined)
Another lot turned on the taps and left, not looking in the basement where there were dozens of caged rats.......

While I never agreed with mink farms just to produce fur for clothes;I think it was a very foolish act by the animal liberators to release them into the wild. I will give them a bit of leeway in that they thought that they were doing good,but did not realise the havoc they have caused since.

Tonyw, two thoughts.

1. the worst evils are done by those with good intentions.

2. Do you know why "they" protest about fur but not about leather. it's easier to attack a rich woman than it is to attack a gang of motorcycle dudes.

off to bed now.

Anything on weasles phil?